Форма прикуса влияет на стираемость зубов. У хищников наблюдается пять форм прикуса передних зубов: нормальный (индекс 0,982), почти прямой (индекс 0,990), прямой (индекс 0,997), прогения (индекс 1,010) и прогматия (индекс 0,958). Определение возраста целесообразно проводить по хищническим и коренным зубам, прикус которых более стабилен. Анормальные прикусы наследуются.
The form of bite influences the tooth obliteration. In wolf and some other predators there are five forms of fore teeth: normal, almost straight, straight, progenic and prognathous. In different species of animals the close as to the value indices of bite (the product of division of the low jaw length by that of the upper one) correspond to the similar forms of bite. There is a direct dependence between the value of the bite index and degree of tooth wearing. It is expedient to determine the age by predatory and molar teeth, the bite of which is more stable. Anorm al bites are inherited.
Diagnostic character of Canis genus the apex of low canine tooth, when the jaws are close, does not reach the edge of alveola of the upper canine tooth (Miller, 1912) - being an age character of the species Canis lupus L. cannot serve the taxonomic aims.
