The researchers found tooth shape varied, depending on the types of food a carnivore regularly bites into – in much the same way we choose a kitchen knife depending on what we’re cutting up.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on Teeth
Displaying 1 - 20 of 71 articles
Many small animals make their teeth and claws from a smooth blend of proteins and heavy elements. These materials can form very sharp tools that make it possible to cut tough substances using tiny muscles.
Tassie devils are notorious scavengers, eating everything from echidnas to stranded whales. Understanding how their teeth wear down can help us feed and protect captive populations.
Cavity-free teeth depend on many factors, and heredity may not be the most important.
The recent discovery of fragments of a jaw fossil show that at one point, herbivorous reptiles evolved highly complex and efficient teeth.
Some snakes have tough, blunt fangs for cracking crabs. Others have sharp needles for getting a grip on mice.
Are the descriptions of war passed down by ancient historians accurate? A site in Sicily provided a rare chance to fact-check stories told about two battles from more than 2,400 years ago.
Scientists have long believed that sharks were the first vertebrates to evolve teeth. Our new study reveals a more complex history.
Oral health is a key part of overall health, but many Canadians skip dental care due to the cost, resulting in emergency room visits and health issues. It’s time for a dental care plan for all Canadians.
Like rings in tree trunks, the layers of our teeth carry a detailed record of our growth — and reveal lead contamination is common.
During this unsettling time, global leaders have assured children and adults alike that the tooth fairy, free from the risk of infection, is indeed an essential worker.
Bubbly waters are becoming increasingly popular. While these carbonated, sometimes flavored beverages might cause slight harm to teeth, they are far better than soda. They might even be good for you.
If you still have most of your teeth and they’re tightly jammed together, flossing is important. But for some people, simply flossing might not be enough.
Archaeologists have long argued over when and how people first domesticated horses. A decade ago, new techniques appeared to have provided answers – but further discoveries change the story again.
Teeth can reveal a lot about diversity when they are reasonably well-preserved.
If one of your goals is to drink more water this year, then make sure you read this.
Here's how to avoid a trip to the emergency dentist this holiday.
Shark skin is composed of millions of tiny scales, which have a similar chemical composition to human teeth.
It’s not all about the cost of treatment – and this is something the next government will need to address.
Do you really need a dental clean every six months? Most healthy people will probably be OK if they go anually. But some people are at higher risk of cavities or gum disease, and should go more often.
Top contributors
-
Senior Researcher in Vertebrate Palaeontology, University of the Witwatersrand
-
Adjunct Research Associate, Monash University
-
Postdoctoral fellow, University of Otago
-
Associate Professor, Monash University
-
Lecturer, General Dentist & PhD Candidate, The University of Queensland
-
Professor, Chair of Population Oral Health + Head of School, Melbourne Dental School, The University of Melbourne
-
Senior research fellow, Southern Cross University
-
Lecturer in Evolutionary Developmental Biology, University of Sheffield
-
Paediatric dentist, Senior Lecturer and Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Melbourne Dental School, Murdoch Children's Research Institute
-
Professor in the Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution & Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, Griffith University
-
Professor of Paediatric Dentistry, University of Dundee
-
PhD candidate, Monash University
-
Adjunct Associate Professor, Menzies Centre for Health Policy, University of Sydney
-
Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University
-
Director of the Centre for Health Economics, Monash University
