Browsing through a few science news web pages this afternoon, it dawned on me that there was a lot of information on two subjects. Frogs and teeth...even a fanged frog! The evolution of teeth suddenly became very interesting and I was overwhelmed with articles and battling with myself as to which article to read next. They all resonated the same message though: you are what you eat!
Teeth are extremely important, they are the tools to help us, as well as many other species, eat. They cut and grind food, but not all teeth are alike, and evolution has played a huge role in determining tooth size and shape. Scientists are able to observe various teeth shapes to determine diets and hypothesize about competition, dating back to the era of dinosaurs and older. Recent studies have shared that multituberculates, rodent-like mammals, that lived during the era of dinosaurs may have been able to use their teeth to outcompete dinosaurs since their teeth developed complex cusps that allowed them to devour newly spudding angiosperms, even accounting for increased body size from about the size of a mouse, eventually evolving to the size of beavers. Multituberculates, despite their toothy advantage, wouldn't last long as primates and other mammals developed similar complex back teeth (i.e. molars) and simpler front teeth, allowing for breaking down abundant vegetation and eventually multituberculates became extinct too.
Millions of years prior to dinosaurs existed, conodonts floated through the sea, vertebrates whose skeleton lies within their mouth. Scientists have measured their razor sharp teeth as the 'sharpest dental structures ever' but they are only 2 micrometers long! Despite lacking jaws, their sharpened weapons allowed them to attack with intense pressure in order to eat. Humans and other mammals, however, developed jaws and less complex, smoother teeth, such as molars, to increase force. Carnivorous animals, however, mimic conodonts, so that their sharp teeth can plow through meat and insects.
Of course, I could go on an on about evolution and teeth, but as stated before, the evolution of teeth is because we are what we eat. So next time you struggle with something chewy, tough or painful to your teeth, remember that millions of years development influenced the shape of your chompers today, and maybe it just wasn't meant to eat.
Karen-Maria Melendez Group C
I learned a little about the evolution of teeth in Bio280 and found it very interesting. Some animals have evolved teeth, lost them, and evolved them again depending on the changing food available in their environment. Its also very fascinating how it is possible to tell where and when an animal lived based solely on its teeth. I liked the examples of different types of teeth you gave, those conodonts sound scary but very similar to some deep sea creatures of today.
ReplyDeletePosted By Erica Bonnell
This is the first I've heard of conodonts. I guess I learned something new today.
ReplyDeleteWhat's interesting about conodonts is that they were originally only known from their teeth since the rest of their soft bodies did not preserve well. Teeth can also be used as a self defense and intimidation, which is why the herbivorous gorillas have such large fangs.
Posted by Joseph Frimpong
That's a really good point Joseph about teeth being used for intimidation. Dogs and canine species alike and other animals like bears too not only use the disturbing sound of their growl but display their teeth which is enough to make me back away!
DeleteI think it's interesting though how in human society, teeth are essential for happiness and not used in the norm to intimidate. Our smiles make huge impressions and having healthy teeth means the whiter and straighter, the better. In cultures designed to intimidate, such as gang cultures, 'grills' and gold teeth do have the intimidation effect though.
Karen Melendez
Dental records are extremely important. I think teeth are often overlooked. I mean, I personally don't see an animal and say, "Oh, look at their teeth, they must be related to such and such species." But it is true, looking at dental records can tell us so much. The evolution of teeth almost reminds me of looking at fossils. You can trace back how an animal or species has evolved over thousands and thousands of years just by looking at their teeth.
ReplyDeleteTaylor Pirog
Not only can we track species, but we can identify individuals based on their teeth through forensic science, some murder cases have been solved just using dental identification to identify the victim!
DeleteKaren Melendez
There are so many different types of teeth in animals throughout the world all helping them break up the food that they eat. The evolution of teeth is fascinating and teeth have come a long way from thousands of years ago. It would be interesting to read an article describing some of the more bizarre types of teeth in animals on record.
ReplyDeletePosted by Nicco Ciccolini
Teeth are such amazing indicators of evolution, in our own history we can tell what our ancient ancestor's diets are like and can deduce their lifestyles off of that. It's intriguing to think that teeth in all species could yield so much information.
ReplyDeletePosted by Andy Zou
I agree, I always found teeth of sharks to be really fascinating, how they grow in rows and how many there are and how I really can't think of any other species with the same dental features as sharks.
ReplyDeleteKaren Melendez