Proteins in tooth enamel offer window into ancient and modern human wellness
A new way of looking at tooth enamel could give scientists a path to deeper understanding of the health of human populations, from the ancient to the modern.
A new way of looking at tooth enamel could give scientists a path to deeper understanding of the health of human populations, from the ancient to the modern.
Archaeology
Sep 19, 2024
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60
More than 80,000 American service members remain missing from previous wars, most from World War II. When remains are found, decomposition often makes identification difficult—but not impossible.
Other
Sep 17, 2024
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1
At the end of the Cretaceous, the duck-billed hadrosaurs were the most advanced herbivores on Earth. New research has revealed just how voracious these dinosaurs were, with their average tooth worn away in less than two months ...
Evolution
Aug 27, 2024
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70
When you think of a fearsome, sharp-toothed predator, a squid probably isn't the first animal that comes to mind. But these complex creatures have sophisticated eyesight, a strong beak to crush shells and agile tentacles ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 22, 2024
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22
A large-scale study of fossil human teeth from Ice Age Europe shows that climate change significantly influenced the demography of prehistoric humans.
Archaeology
Aug 19, 2024
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211
Scientists have discovered that the serrated edges of Komodo dragons' teeth are tipped with iron. Led by researchers from King's College London, the study gives new insight into how Komodo dragons keep their teeth razor-sharp ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 27, 2024
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28
A team of paleontologists and natural science specialists from the U.K., the U.S. and France reports that ancient fossil evidence uncovered on Scotland's Isle of Skye suggests small mammals living millions of years ago may ...
The fearsome Komodo dragon, native to Indonesia and the world's largest living lizard, has a coat of iron on its razor-like teeth to help it kill its prey, scientists found in a study published Wednesday.
Plants & Animals
Jul 24, 2024
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296
Ancient apes in Germany co-existed by partitioning resources in their environment, according to a study published June 7, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Madelaine Böhme of Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Jun 7, 2024
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158
Raquel Hernando, a Juan de la Cierva researcher associated with the European project TIED2TEETH, at the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), is the lead author of a paper published in the ...
Archaeology
May 14, 2024
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2
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.
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