What are the different types of teeth in mammals. How do mammal teeth differ based on diet. Why are teeth important for understanding mammal evolution. How do scientists use teeth to study ancient mammals.

The Diversity of Mammalian Teeth: An Evolutionary Marvel

Mammalian teeth represent a pinnacle of evolutionary adaptation, showcasing remarkable diversity and specialization across species. Unlike their vertebrate counterparts, mammals have developed heterodont dentition, meaning their teeth have distinct forms and functions. This adaptation has played a crucial role in the success and diversification of mammals across various ecological niches.

Teeth are not only essential for feeding but also serve as valuable tools for scientists studying mammalian evolution and behavior. Their durability makes them one of the most commonly fossilized parts of mammals, providing a window into the past and helping researchers piece together the evolutionary history of various species.

The Importance of Teeth in Mammalian Evolution

Why are teeth so significant in the study of mammalian evolution? Teeth have several characteristics that make them invaluable to researchers:

• Durability: Teeth are the hardest structures in the mammalian body, often surviving long after other tissues have decomposed.
• Specificity: The number, size, shape, and arrangement of teeth are unique to each species, allowing for accurate identification and classification.
• Adaptability: Teeth reflect the dietary habits and ecological niches of mammals, providing insights into their lifestyle and environment.
• Fossilization: Due to their hardness, teeth are frequently preserved as fossils, offering a rich source of information about extinct species.

The Four Main Types of Mammalian Teeth

Mammals have evolved four primary types of teeth, each with a specific function in the feeding process. Understanding these types is crucial for comprehending the dietary adaptations of different mammalian species.

Incisors: The Cutting Edge

What role do incisors play in a mammal’s mouth? Incisors are the frontline teeth, typically located at the front of the jaw. Their primary functions include:

• Cutting and biting food
• Nibbling and stripping vegetation
• Grooming (in some species)

Incisors are usually chisel-shaped, making them ideal for these tasks. In herbivores, they may be particularly well-developed for cropping vegetation.

Canines: Nature’s Daggers

Canine teeth are located on either side of the incisors and are often the most prominent teeth in carnivorous mammals. Their functions include:

• Grabbing and holding prey
• Piercing tough hide or flesh
• Tearing meat

In some herbivores, canines may be reduced or absent, while in certain species (like walruses or narwhals), they can be highly specialized for unique purposes.

Premolars: The Transition Zone

Premolars are situated between the canines and molars, serving as a transitional area in the mouth. Their primary functions are:

• Grinding food
• Crushing tough plant material or small bones
• Slicing meat (in carnivores)

The shape and size of premolars can vary significantly depending on the species’ diet, ranging from sharp and blade-like in carnivores to flat and ridged in herbivores.

Molars: The Powerhouse of Mastication

Molars are the largest teeth, located at the back of the mouth. They play a crucial role in processing food before swallowing. Their functions include:

• Grinding plant material
• Crushing bones
• Thoroughly chewing food

Molars often have complex surfaces with cusps and ridges, allowing for efficient breakdown of food. The jaw’s leverage is most powerful at the molar region, enabling maximum force for grinding tough materials.

Dental Adaptations in Different Mammalian Diets

The arrangement and structure of teeth in mammals are closely tied to their dietary habits. This relationship has led to fascinating adaptations across various species.

Carnivore Dentition: Built for Meat

How do carnivore teeth differ from those of other mammals? Carnivorous mammals have distinct dental features adapted for a meat-based diet:

• Large, sharp canines for piercing and holding prey
• Blade-like premolars and molars (carnassials) for shearing meat
• Reduced grinding surfaces on molars
• Generally fewer teeth compared to herbivores

Examples of carnivores with typical meat-eating dentition include wolves, lions, and bears.

Herbivore Dentition: Specialized for Plant Matter

Herbivorous mammals have teeth adapted for processing tough plant material:

• Large, flat molars with ridges for grinding vegetation
• Chisel-like incisors for cropping plants
• Often lack canines or have reduced canines
• May have a gap (diastema) between incisors and cheek teeth

Horses, deer, and rabbits exemplify typical herbivore dentition.

Omnivore Dentition: The Best of Both Worlds

Omnivorous mammals have a versatile dental structure that allows them to consume both plant and animal matter:

• Moderately sized canines
• Incisors for various functions (cutting, gnawing)
• Premolars and molars with both cutting and grinding surfaces

Humans, bears, and pigs are examples of mammals with omnivorous dentition.

Unique Dental Adaptations in Mammals

While the basic tooth types are common across mammals, some species have developed extraordinary dental adaptations to suit their specific lifestyles.

Tusks: More Than Just Big Teeth

Tusks are elongated canines or incisors that grow continuously throughout an animal’s life. They serve various purposes:

• Defense against predators
• Competition for mates
• Digging or foraging (e.g., walruses use tusks to dig for shellfish)
• Display and social signaling

Elephants, narwhals, and walruses are well-known examples of mammals with prominent tusks.

Rodent Incisors: Nature’s Chisels

Rodents have a unique dental adaptation in their incisors:

• Continuous growth throughout life
• Hard enamel on the front surface, softer dentine behind
• Self-sharpening through normal wear

This adaptation allows rodents to gnaw on tough materials without wearing down their teeth.

Baleen: An Alternative to Teeth

Some whale species have evolved baleen plates instead of teeth. How does baleen function?

• Acts as a filter to strain small prey from seawater
• Composed of keratin, the same protein found in hair and nails
• Allows whales to feed on huge quantities of small organisms like krill

Baleen whales, including blue whales and humpbacks, use this unique adaptation for feeding.

The Life Cycle of Mammalian Teeth

Unlike many other vertebrates, mammals have a limited number of tooth sets throughout their lives. This characteristic has significant implications for their feeding habits and overall health.

Milk Teeth: The First Set

Also known as deciduous teeth, milk teeth are the first set of teeth in mammals. Key features include:

• Smaller and fewer in number than adult teeth
• Begin to emerge shortly after birth
• Temporary, eventually replaced by permanent teeth

The presence of milk teeth allows young mammals to transition from nursing to solid food.

Permanent Teeth: The Adult Set

Permanent teeth replace milk teeth and serve the animal throughout adulthood. Characteristics of permanent teeth include:

• Larger and more numerous than milk teeth
• Designed to last for the animal’s lifetime
• May continue to erupt slowly to compensate for wear (in some species)

The transition from milk teeth to permanent teeth is a crucial period in a mammal’s development.

Tooth Wear and Its Implications

As mammals age, their teeth naturally wear down. This process can provide valuable information about the animal:

• Diet: The pattern of wear can indicate the type of food consumed
• Age: The extent of wear can help estimate the animal’s age
• Health: Abnormal wear patterns may signal health issues

In some species, like horses, teeth continue to erupt throughout life to compensate for wear.

Teeth as Tools for Scientific Study

The study of mammalian teeth, known as dental morphology, provides scientists with a wealth of information about both living and extinct species.

Paleontology: Uncovering Ancient Life

How do paleontologists use fossilized teeth to study ancient mammals?

• Species identification: Tooth structure can help identify extinct species
• Dietary reconstruction: Tooth shape and wear patterns indicate ancient diets
• Evolutionary relationships: Changes in tooth structure over time reveal evolutionary trends

Fossilized teeth are often the best-preserved remains of extinct mammals, making them invaluable for paleontological research.

Forensic Science: Teeth as Evidence

In forensic contexts, teeth can provide crucial information:

• Individual identification: Dental records can be used to identify human remains
• Age estimation: Tooth development and wear patterns can indicate age at death
• Bite mark analysis: In some cases, teeth marks can be used as evidence in criminal investigations

The durability and uniqueness of teeth make them valuable tools in forensic science.

Zoology and Wildlife Biology: Studying Living Mammals

Researchers studying living mammals use dental information for various purposes:

• Population health assessment: Tooth condition can indicate overall health of wild populations
• Age structure analysis: Tooth wear helps estimate age distribution in populations
• Dietary studies: Tooth wear and dental microwear textures reveal details about animal diets

Non-invasive techniques like dental molds allow scientists to gather this information without harming the animals.

The Future of Mammalian Dental Research

As technology advances, new methods are emerging for studying mammalian teeth, opening up exciting possibilities for future research.

3D Imaging and Analysis

How is 3D technology changing the study of mammalian teeth?

• Micro-CT scanning allows for detailed internal tooth structure analysis
• 3D modeling enables precise measurements and comparisons between species
• Virtual reality applications can provide immersive educational experiences

These technologies are revolutionizing both research and education in mammalian dental morphology.

Genetic Studies and Tooth Development

Advances in genetics are providing new insights into tooth evolution and development:

• Identification of genes responsible for tooth formation and structure
• Understanding of evolutionary changes in tooth genetics across species
• Potential for bioengineering teeth for medical applications

This research could have significant implications for both evolutionary biology and dental medicine.

Conservation Applications

How can dental research contribute to wildlife conservation efforts?

• Non-invasive monitoring of endangered species through dental impressions
• Assessment of habitat quality based on dental health of populations
• Understanding the impact of climate change on mammalian diets through dental wear patterns

These applications demonstrate the broader ecological importance of mammalian dental research.

The study of mammalian teeth continues to yield fascinating insights into the diversity, adaptation, and evolution of these remarkable animals. From the sharp canines of carnivores to the complex molars of herbivores, each tooth tells a story of survival and adaptation. As research techniques advance, our understanding of mammalian dental morphology will undoubtedly deepen, shedding light on both the past and future of these incredible creatures.

Mammal Teeth (U.S. National Park Service)

Line drawing of the upper and lower jaw, showing the location of teeth types.
Mammals have different types of teeth, depending on what they eat.

Scientists have different names for types of teeth. Incisors cut, bite, nibble, and strip. They are in the front of the mouth. Canines grab, pierce, and tear. They are located on either side of the incisors. Next along the jaw are premolars, which grind, crush, and slice. Molars grind and crush, using the leverage of the jaw for the most power.

Mammals can be herbivores, omnivores, carnivores, or insectivores. The function, size, shape, and layout of their teeth in the mouth is adapted to what they eat. Typically, the numbers of tooth types differ within species, sex, and age of the animal.

Did You Know?: Most mammals have teeth, but anteaters, platypuses, and some whales are exceptions.

Line drawing of a carnivore skull. Carnivores primarily eat meat. Their canines and long teeth enable them to bite and tear. Even their molars, which grind meat, are sharp.

Line drawing of an herbivore skull

Herbivores primarily eat plants. Their teeth cut and grind. They include tall molar teeth with flat upper surfaces (and sometimes with ridges) and clipper-like incisors.

Line drawing of an omnivore skull. Omnivores eat meat and plants. They have sharp, long canines as well as wide molar teeth with low bumpy crowns. Their teeth enable them both to tear and cut, and grind and chew.

Horses generally have between 36-44 teeth, all shaped for different purposes. Horses are primarily herbivores, meaning they eat plants. They can graze for up to 15-17 hours a day. Horses’ incisors (and canines, in male horses) cut plants. Their premolars and molars grind the food before it is swallowed.

Eating plants leaves wear patterns on horses’ teeth. Grazing continually grinds down the teeth. Over a horse’s lifetime, teeth continue to erupt from their jaws to stay at the same height, until no tooth is left. If the animal lives to an old age, the remains of the tooth fall out.

Because diet and tooth wear are directly correlated, scientists can tell a lot about a horse’s diet and lifestyle just by looking at their teeth. Archeologists, biologists, and zoologists are some of the scientists who study horse teeth. Scientists can learn about the kinds of plants where a horse lived; the age of the animal, sex, overall health; and other characteristics.

Check these horse teeth from Assateague Island National Seashore:

• Horse skull in 3d
• Male horse skull in 3d
• Male horse mandible in 3d
• Horse tooth (incisor) in 3d
• Horse tooth (canine) in 3d
• Horse tooth (molar) in 3d

Directions:

1. Review the types of teeth, what they look like, and what they do.

2. Choose three colors of markers/crayons/pencils.
3. Use one color each for incisors, molars, and canines.
4. Label the teeth. Write a few words about what each type does.

(The 3d scans of a horse skull, mandible, and teeth and these coloring sheets were created through a partnership between the National Park Service and the Virtual Curation Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University.)

A Look Inside The Different Types Of Tooth [2023]

Table of Contents

Teeth are important things… without them, eating becomes a lot more difficult.

In mammals, teeth have reached their highest peak of evolution. Mammalian teeth are both more complicated and more efficient than in other vertebrates.

Teeth are heavy and require considerable muscle to operate efficiently. This has made an important contribution to the evolution of the mammal skull.

Mammals are heterodonts, which means some of our teeth are different. In fishes and reptiles, the teeth are all basically the same – some bigger than others but the same basic shape. Mammals needed their teeth to do several different jobs and so mammal teeth evolved into different forms.

Mammal teeth can grind, stab, scissor, dig, chisel, sieve and lift (elephant’s tusks).

Male narwhal shows off his modified tooth feeding on small bait fish on the surface

Teeth are the hardest part of any mammal and therefore they are the part most often fossilized.

The number, size, organization and shape of the teeth are different in every species of mammal and can be used in taxonomy, especially of fossils. In fact without teeth, the fossil record would be much harder to understand.

Mammals have only two sets of teeth. The first set they get soon after birth, often called the ‘milk teeth’ and a larger set they acquire as an adult.

The larger set has both more and larger teeth to fill the larger jawbones. In all other toothed vertebrates, teeth just keep coming. No matter how many you lose, there is always another one ready to take its place. In other words, fish amphibians, reptiles and birds either have no teeth or numerous sets.

Teeth do not last for ever… like everything they wear out.

How fast they wear out depends on what the animal eats. Herbivore teeth in particular tend to where out at a specific rate. This is very useful for biologists, as it allows them to age an animal by looking at its teeth.

Therefore even a skull of a long dead animal can supply useful information by faithfully retaining the information on how old the animal was when it died.

Elephant Teeth

Elephants, as you might have expected, have the largest teeth in the world.

An Elephant’s tusks are actually modified incisors. They arise from the upper jaw and only 2/3s of them are visible because they are deeply embedded in the elephants skull.

The heaviest pair of tusks, and therefore the heaviest pair of teeth, of any extant (still living species) animal belonged to an African Elephant Loxodonta africana shot in 1897. One of the pair was slightly larger than the other, but together they weighed 211kg or 465lb.

A single tusk from an unknown African Elephant weighed in at 117kg or 258lb Paris in 1900. This is the single largest tooth of a modern animal.

Elephants tusks are in fact modified incisor teeth

Prehistoric records also go to members of the elephant family.

The longest tusk ever found belonged to the extinct Palaeoloxodom antiquus germanicus, the Straight-tusked Elephant. On average this magnificent animal had tusks 5m or 16.5ft long.

The heaviest tusks ever known belonged to the Colombian Mammoth Mammuthus columbi, these weighed 226kg or 498lb. A single tusk from an unknown species that weighs 150kg or 330lb is preserved in a museum in Milan.

If the owner of this huge tooth had two approximately the same size, their combined weight would have been around 300kg or 660lb – and thus far more than the Colombian Mammoth mentioned first.

Apart from elephants, the tusks of Walruses can also get quite large-  being up to 1m long and weighing 5.4kg or 12lb. The canines of hippopotamuses can also be quite impressive.

Tusks aside, it is the African Elephant again who comes in as the winner in the largest teeth stakes. A bull African Elephant’s molars can be easily be more than a foot long and weigh 4kg or 10lb.

Which Mammal Has The Most Teeth?

The number of teeth in an animal’s jaw depend on its life history.

Teeth are expensive to grow, so no animal wants more than it needs. Most placental mammals are happy with between 20 and 40, while most marsupials have 30 to 50. As a general rule, animals that feed on insects have more teeth than either herbivores or the larger carnivores. There are some funny exceptions though.

Several groups of mammals have decided to do without teeth altogether.

The 10 species of Whales in the order Mysticeti, the 8 species of Pangolins family Manidae, and the 3 species of Anteaters in the family Myrmecophagidae and order Edentata have all given up on teeth completely and have none.

An interesting tooth oddity is the Narwhale Monodon monocerus, order Odontoceti. This has two teeth in its upper jaw. One of these, normally the left one, grows out long and forward as a tusk – while the other remains rudimentary.

Tooth pieces from a narwhal – Tasiilaq in East Greenland.

Looking the other way to see who has the most teeth, we have to visit two of the 3 orders that gave us the mammals with the least teeth.

On land, the mammal with the most teeth is the Giant Armadillo Priodontes giganteus order Edentata – which can as many 100 teeth in its jaws.

In the oceans, the real master of teeth comes from the order Odontoceti. The Long-snouted Spinner Dolphin can have as many as 252 teeth in its long thin jaws.

These teeth are more like reptile teeth, in that they are all the same basic shape – thin sharp little spears. This makes them good for catching and holding the slippery little fishes that dolphins live on.

What’s Inside a Mammal Tooth?

Mammal’s teeth, like mammal bones, are living structures.

They rest in a specially designed cavity in the bones of the jaw. And, at least while they are growing, they have a supply of blood and nutrients to them through their base.

The crown is the outside part of the tooth that is above the jaw bone, it is the part that does all the hard work. It is capped with an extra hard substance called enamel. The rest of the tooth is softer, but still harder than bone.

Beneath the enamel, making up the bulk of the tooth, is the Dentine and within the centre is the pulp cavity. Enamel is 96% mineral while the dentine is 70% mineral.

Teeth are seated in the jawbones and held in place by a special cement which is another form of bone. In the bottom of the tooth is a channel leading between the pulp cavity and the jaw bone, which allows blood vessels to access the tooth.

Most teeth stop growing once they reach an adult size and the cavity in the bottom of the tooth seals up. But some teeth, like the incisors of rodents, or the molars of sheep keep growing as they are worn down.

Teeth can be divided into two sections. The part above the gum called the crown and the part embedded in the gum called the root.

Types Of Teeth

Teeth in mammals come in four different sorts: Incisors, Canines, Premolars and Molars.

Not all mammals have all, or even any, of them and the roles any particular sort of teeth play in an animal’s life can be quite diverse.

The arrangement of teeth in any given mammals mouth can be expressed as a ‘dental formula’.

This dental formula gives the arrangement of one side of an animal’s jaw, such that incisors are always written first then canines then premolars and then molars.

For humans 2123-2123 is upper and lower jaws respectively, signifying: 2 incisors, 1 canine, 2 premolars and 3 molars on each side – in both the upper and lower jaw.

In total this adds up to 8 incisors, 4 canines, 8 premolars and 12 molars = 32 teeth in humans.

Other mammals have different numbers of each sort of teeth in their upper and lower jaws. Hence Smoky Bats (family Furipteridae) have the dental formula 2123-3133 whilst Hyenas have 3141-3131 normally.

Incisors = Cutting teeth

Incisors are the front most teeth in the jaw primarily used for the initial biting of food. They have a straight, sharp cutting edge and one root. In many Rodents, they grow continually throughout the animal’s life. This is because they get warn down gnawing through things.

Canines = Stabbing teeth

Normally only 2 pairs (one each side) per jaw. Canines have a sharp, pointed edge and are used with the incisors to bite into food and or to kill prey. Like incisors they have one root.

The tusks of many animals such as pigs, hippopotamuses and walruses (but not elephants) are modified canines. They are missing in rodents and most large herbivores (Perissodactyls and Artiodactyls). The gap where the canines would have been is often enlarged and is called a ‘diastema’.

Premolars

Next back from the canines. They are generally similar to molars in form and function in both herbivores and omnivores, but in carnivores some of them at least are slimmer and are used to cut flesh. When they (the first lower premolar and last upper premolar) are modified like this they are called the carnassials.

Otherwise premolars are teeth we use to crush and grind our food. Their upper surfaces have a broad, lumpy top instead of a sharp biting edge. These small irregular lumps are called cusps. Premolars are called bicuspids in some books. This is because (in most cases) they have two cusps, the prefix ‘bi’ meaning two.

The first upper premolars normally have two roots. The other premolars have one root.

Molars

Molars are larger than premolars and extremely variable depending on the animal’s diet.

Like premolars they are used for crushing and grinding food – and like premolars their upper surfaces have ridges called cusps on them. Molars normally have three to five cusps and two or three roots.

In humans we call the third molars, those closest to the back of the mouth, ‘Wisdom Teeth’. If the jaw bone is not large enough to accommodate all the teeth in it, as sometimes happens with humans, these wisdom teeth can become painfully wedged between the back of the jaw bone and the 2nd molars. This condition is known as ‘impacted wisdom teeth’.

What Next?

Well, I hope this has been an interesting exploration of the (not so) humble mammal tooth!

Perhaps now you’d like to learn some more mammal facts.

Mammal teeth | Zoology. Abstract, report, message, briefly, presentation, lecture, cheat sheet, abstract, GDZ, test

Teeth in most mammals are heterodont (differing in structure, Fig. 206).

Heterodont dentition includes incisors, canines, small molars (premolars) and large molars (molars).

Dental features and dental formula are important taxonomic characters for mammals. The following designations are accepted in the dental formula: incisors – I, canines – C, premolars – P, molars – M. The upper number after the letter indicates the number of teeth of this type in half of the upper jaw, the lower number – in the lower. For example, the human dental formula is I ² ₂ C ¹ ₁ P ² ₂ M — I ⁰ ₃ C ⁰ ₁ P ^{3- 2} _3-2 M ³ ₃ .

The first series of teeth – milk teeth do not have roots and with the help of ligaments are held by the neck to the gum and the edges of the alveoli. Larger permanent teeth (Fig. 207) of mammals developing under them have roots, covered with a layer of dental cement and connected by ligaments to the walls of depressions in the jaw bones – dental alveoli.

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cheek teeth (premolars + molars), which are divided into several types, reach the maximum diversity (Fig. 208). Material from the site http://doklad-referat.ru

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• Communication on the topic of mammalian teeth0107

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65) Dental system of mammals. Categories of teeth, dental formula. Features of the course of the change of teeth in different groups.

dental
formula –
written in special notation
a brief description of the dental system of mammals and
other heterodont tetrapods.

At
dental formula records use
abbreviated names of tooth types
heterodont dental system: I (lat. dentes
incisivi ) – incisors; C (lat. d.
canini ) – fangs; P (lat. d.
premolares ) —
pre-root, or small root,
or premolars; M (lat. d.
molares ) —
molars, or large molars, or molars.
Behind the abbreviated name of the type of teeth
followed by an indication of the number of pairs of teeth
of this group: in the numerator –
top and in the denominator –
lower jaw.

Sample
records of the dental formula (on the example of a person):

This
entry means: two pairs of incisors (I), one
a pair of canine teeth (C), two pairs of small molars
(P) and three pairs of large molars
(M).

Apart from
of these main types of teeth in representatives
some groups of mammals are isolated
types specific to them.
These are intermediate (lat. d.
intercalares , in )
shrew teeth,
appropriate, presumably
poorly differentiated incisors,
premolars and probably canines, and large
preroot (lat. d.
praemolares prominantes , PmP )
bat teeth,
located between the premolars and
molars. ^[1]

dental
formula is widely used in
taxonomy of vertebrates
compiling the characteristics of the groups of the
different ranks of orders to subfamilies and
even childbirth,
because it allows a compact presentation
main characteristics of the dental system.

IN
practical dentistry such
designations are rarely used, and teeth
man’s jaws are simply numbered
from incisors to large molars (from 1 to 8).

All
teeth are divided into 4 sectors (clockwise
arrow):

1. Teeth
   upper jaw on the right (respectively
   central incisor – 11, second incisor –
   12, canine – 13, first premolar – 14,
   second premolar – 15, first molar –
   16, second molar – 17, third molar or
   wisdom tooth -18).

2. Teeth
   upper jaw on the left (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26,
   27, 28 by analogy with the right side).

3. Teeth
   lower jaw on the left (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37,
   38).

4. Teeth
   lower jaw on the right (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46,
   47, 48).

Mammals (lat. Mammalia) – a class of vertebrate animals,
main distinguishing features
which are live births (for
except for the cloacal infraclass) and
feeding cubs with milk (growing up,
gradually transition from milk to solid
food). The world is known according to various estimates
from 5000 ^[1] to
5416 ^[2] kinds
mammals, and on the territory of Russia –
up to 380 ^[3] species.

IN
some classifications are mammals and
animals (lat. Theria)
regarded as identical,
other animals – a separate subclass in
class mammals (in which, however,
includes the vast majority
modern species), opposed
subclass of the first beasts (lat. Prototheria).
Sometimes as a synonym for non-specialists
mistakenly use the term animals.