R.F. Ewer’s scientific contributions

... The form of a structure is closely related to its function, and many studies have demonstrated how bone size and shape variations can impact functional capabilities and behavior (Dickson & Pierce, 2019;Hautier et al., 2012;Pigot et al., 2020). This is particularly true of the skull in relation to feeding performance, especially so in predators that use their jaws to kill prey, like most mustelids (Ewer, 1973;Wilson & Mittermeier, 2009). Any change to the morphology of the skull will alter the lever mechanics of the masticatory system McIntosh & Cox, 2016;Radinsky, 1981;Van Valkenburgh, 2007), thus affecting a number of important biomechanical parameters, namely: bite force, and hence the ability to deliver the kill bite and/or crush food items; maximum gape, which can alter the range of accessible prey; and stresses (i.e., internal distributions of applied forces) and strains (i.e., deformations) across the skull generated by biting or by prey struggling to escape. ...

Reference:

Cranial shape variation in mink: Separating two highly similar species