Patterns and Constraints in Carnivoran and Rodent Dental Complexity and Tooth Size

• Tooth row complexity is correlated with diet, and so can be used to predict diet in extinct species. • Here, we investigate whether isolated teeth can be used to reconstruct diet. • Isolated lower teeth were reasonable in predicting diet whether tooth position is known or not. • Dental complexity is correlated with the inhibitory cascade rule of relative tooth sizes, and it is likely that inhibition controls both features