Morphological study of the anterior dentition in Raoellidae (Mammalia, Artiodactyla), new insight on their dietary habits

Raoellidae are small artiodactyls from the Indian subcontinent closely related to stem cetaceans. They bring crucial information to understand the early phase of the land‐to‐water transition in Cetacea. If they are considered to be partly aquatic, the question of their dietary habits remains partly understood due to their “transitional” morphology. Raoellidae are largely documented by their cheek teeth and getting a better knowledge of their anterior dentition constitutes an additional proxy to discuss their feeding habits. In this work, we document the anterior dentition of Indohyus indirae from an unprecedented sample of in situ and isolated teeth from the locality of East Aiji‐2 in the Kalakot area (Rajouri district, India). We propose identification criteria for upper and lower incisors and canines in raoellids. Based on CT scan data, virtual reconstruction of in situ dentition, and identification of the isolated incisors and canines, we reconstruct a composite anterior dentition of Indohyus supported by the correspondence of wear facets between upper and lower teeth. This constitutes the first attempt at reconstruction of the anterior dentition of a raoellid. We show that the upper incisors are caniniform and very similar morphologically, whereas the lower incisors are pointed but remain incisiform and quite different from one another. We also describe noticeable intraspecific variation, at the level of upper canines, suggesting a potential sexual dimorphism in this species. Upper and lower incisors are recurved, with the upper incisor row arranged on a widely opened arch. Taken altogether the anterior dentition forms a grasping device, allowing the animal to capture and secure food, a characteristic shared with stem cetaceans. This would mark the first step towards the carnivorous diet in these peculiar artiodactyls.