High-resolution microscopic images of the surface of dental enamel of lepidosauria, which is a subclass of reptile including monitor lizards, iguanas, lizards and tuatara, allow scientists to determine their dietary habits. ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 21, 2019
0
0
Modern hyenas are known as hunters and scavengers in Asian and African ecosystems such as the savanna.
Archaeology & Fossils
Jun 18, 2019
0
629
When they graze, goats, sheep and cows often ingest bits of earth that can be damaging to their teeth. Researchers from the University of Zurich have now shown how the animals protect themselves against dental abrasion: Their ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 17, 2019
0
34
Two children's milk teeth buried deep in a remote archaeological site in north eastern Siberia have revealed a previously unknown group of people lived there during the last Ice Age.
Archaeology & Fossils
Jun 05, 2019
5
2140
A team of researchers led by the University of California San Diego have discovered what's responsible for making the teeth of the deep-sea dragonfish transparent. This unique adaptation, which helps camouflage the dragonfish ...
Nanomaterials
Jun 05, 2019
0
257
A team of researchers with members affiliated with several institutions in Argentina has found evidence that suggests the canine teeth of the saber-toothed cat were strong enough to puncture the skulls of other members of ...
Physicists and mathematicians use the classical Stefan problem to explain the principles of crystal formation, such as those that create snowflakes . Researchers in the University of Helsinki and Aalto University have now ...
Molecular & Computational Biology
May 29, 2019
0
8
Researchers from the University of Tübingen and their colleagues from Switzerland have studied hundreds of fossil carp teeth for the first time using 3-D technologies. In 4 million-year old lake sediments from what is now ...
Plants & Animals
May 20, 2019
0
9
Neanderthals and modern humans diverged at least 800,000 years ago, substantially earlier than indicated by most DNA-based estimates, according to new research by a UCL academic.
Archaeology & Fossils
May 15, 2019
18
1264
Airborne lead from recycled car batteries at the Exide plant in Vernon ended up in the baby teeth of children living nearby, a USC study shows.
Environment
May 07, 2019
0
840
Teeth (singular tooth) are small whitish structures found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates that are used to tear, scrape, and chew food. Some animals, particularly carnivores, also use teeth for hunting or defense. The roots of teeth are covered by gums. Teeth are not made of bone, but rather of tissues of varying density and hardness.
Teeth are among the most distinctive (and long-lasting) features of mammal species. Paleontologists use teeth to identify fossil species and determine their relationships. The shape of the animal's teeth are related to its diet. For example, plant matter is hard to digest, so herbivores have many molars for chewing. Carnivores, on the other hand, need canines to kill prey and to tear meat.
Mammals are diphyodont, meaning that they develop two sets of teeth. In humans, the first set (the "baby," "milk," "primary" or "deciduous" set) normally starts to appear at about six months of age, although some babies are born with one or more visible teeth, known as neonatal teeth. Normal tooth eruption at about six months is known as teething and can be painful.
Some animals develop only one set of teeth (monophyodont) while others develop many sets (polyphyodont). Sharks, for example, grow a new set of teeth every two weeks to replace worn teeth. Rodent incisors grow and wear away continually through gnawing, maintaining relatively constant length. Many rodents such as voles (but not mice) and guinea pigs, as well as rabbits, have continuously growing molars in addition to incisors.
This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA
