Dentary tooth shape in Sphenodon and its fossil relatives (Diapsida: Lepidosauria: Rhynchocephalia).

CONCLUSION: These three categories correspond to food processing as inferred from tooth wear (puncturing+crushing, grinding+shredding and tearing+cutting, respectively). A phylogenetic signal is also present as the teeth of basal taxa generally conform to the first category. The larger tooth bases of derived taxa provide stronger attachment and contribute to a stouter tooth shape more resistant to loading and torsional forces. This in turn corresponds to skull architecture because the skulls of derived taxa could accommodate larger jaw muscles with a greater leverage relative to basal taxa.
PMID: 19828962 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Source: Frontiers of Oral Biology - November 25, 2014 Category: ENT & OMF Tags: Front Oral Biol Source Type: research