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Dentition in Mammals

Contents
1. Meaning of Dentition in Mammals: .......................................................................................................... 2
2. Origin and Structure of Teeth in Mammals: ............................................................................................. 2
Structure of a Tooth .................................................................................................................................. 2
3. Types of Dentition in Mammals: ............................................................................................................... 3
A. Classification According to the Shape and Size of the Teeth:............................................................... 3
Homodont: ............................................................................................................................................ 3
Heterodont:........................................................................................................................................... 3
B. According to the Mode of Attachment of Teeth: ................................................................................. 4
Thecodont ............................................................................................................................................. 4
Acrodont: .............................................................................................................................................. 4
Pleurodont: ........................................................................................................................................... 4
C. According to the Succession or Replace-ment of Teeth: ...................................................................... 5
D. On the Basis of Cusp patterns of cheek teeth: ..................................................................................... 6
(i) Triconodont: ..................................................................................................................................... 6
(ii) Trituberculate: ................................................................................................................................. 7
(iii) Bunodont: ....................................................................................................................................... 7
(iv) Lophodont: ...................................................................................................................................... 7
(v) Secodont: ......................................................................................................................................... 7
(vi) Selenodont: ..................................................................................................................................... 7
(vii)Hypsodont: ...................................................................................................................................... 7
4. Dental Formula:........................................................................................................................................ 7
5. Unusual Teeth in Mammals: .................................................................................................................... 8

Dr. Samar V S Rathore Department of Zoology

St. John’s College, Agra
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1. Meaning of Dentition in Mammals:

The arrangement of teeth in the upper and lower jaws, mainly on the premaxilla, maxilla and dentary bones, is called
dentition.

Absence of teeth:

Modern turtles and birds lack teeth. Teeth are present in all mammals though a secon-dary toothless condition is
found in some mammals. The adult platypus (Ornithorhynchus) bears epidermal teeth but no true teeth are present.
In platypus embryonic teeth are replaced by horny epidermal teeth in adult. In Echidna or spiny ant-eater
(Tachyglossus) the teeth are absent in all stages of life.

In certain ant-eaters of the New World (e.g., Myrmecophaga, Tamandua and Cyclopes) and’ in adult whale-bone
whale, Balaena (Right whale), Caperea (Pygmy right whale), Eschrichtius (Grey whale), Balaenoptera (Rorqual
whale), Megaptera (Humpback whale)—teeth are absent.

2. Origin and Structure of Teeth in Mammals:

Teeth have evolved from denticles which are released from armour near the margins of the mouth as ossification in
the inte-gument. A typical mammalian tooth can be distinguished mainly into two regions — crown and root. The
crown is the exposed part of the tooth and situated above the root and in the old age it is generally subject to wear.

The root is the hidden part in the gum which is anchored in the socket or alveolus of the jaw bone. The tooth
encloses a pulp cavity that contains blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue. The junction of crown and root is
called neck.

Structure of a Tooth
There are three kinds of tissues in a typical tooth. They are enamel, dentine and cement. Unworn crown is covered
by a thin, very hard, glisten-ing layer, called enamel. It is the hardest and heaviest tissue of the vertebrates and is
com-posed of crystals of hydroxyapatite [3(Ca3PO4)2. Ca(OH)2). It is ectodermal in ori-gin and totally acellular.

Dr. Samar V S Rathore Department of Zoology

St. John’s College, Agra
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Below enamel, a hard dermal bony substance layer is found, called dentine. It is harder than bone but softer than
enamel. The ivory is a specialised dentine and hard creamy-white substance, found in ele-phant, hippopotamus,
walrus and narwhals tusks. The human dentine is composed of mainly calcium phosphate and fluoride 66.72%,
organic matter 28.01% and calcium carbonate.

The root of tooth is covered by a thin layer of cement (cementum or Crusta petrosa) and a vascular periodentai
membrane of strong connective tissue fibres (Sharpey’s fibres).Cement is a nonvascular bone and usually acellular.
It is softer than dentine and is rich in collagenous fibres. It wears rapidly when exposed. The pulp cavity is lined by
a layer of bone cells, called odontoblasts. Both dentine and cement are mesodermal in origin.

3. Types of Dentition in Mammals:

A. Classification According to the Shape and Size of the Teeth:
Homodont:
Homodont or isodont type of teeth is a condition where the teeth are all alike in their shape and size, e.g., the toothed
whales (Odontoceti). Pinnipedians show a tendency towards homodont condition. Fishes amphibians reptiles and in
the extinct toothed birds, the homodont or isodont condition is observed.

Heterodont:
Heterodont condition is the usual feature in mammals, i.e. the teeth are distinguished according to their shape, size
and function. The function is also different at different parts of the tooth row. Except mammals heterodont condition
is found in Port Jackson Shark (Heterodontus), in several reptiles, specially among mammal-like reptiles.

Dr. Samar V S Rathore Department of Zoology

St. John’s College, Agra
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B. According to the Mode of Attachment of Teeth:

Thecodont type dentition is the rule among mammals. In this condition, the teeth are lodged in bony sockets or
alveoli of the jaw bone and capillaries and nerves enter the pulp cavity through the open tips of the hollow roots

Except mammals, thecodont type of teeth is found in crocodiles and in some fishes (Haddock, Garpike and
Barracuda). Among vertebrates except thecodont, acrodont and pleurodont type of dentition is found.

Acrodont:
The teeth are fused to the surface of the underlying jawbone. They have no roots and are attached to the edge of the
jawbone by fibrous membrane e.g., fishes, amphibians and some reptiles.

In amphibians if teeth are present, they are acrodont and homodont except Necturus. All reptiles do not possess
acrodont type of teeth. The acrodont- possessing reptiles are Sphenodort, Calotes, Draco, Agama, Uromastix,
Moloch horridus and some snakes.

Pleurodont:
Here the teeth are attached to the inner-side of the jawbone. The tooth touches the bone only with the outer surface
of its root (Fig. 10.128). In acrodont and pleurodont types of dentition, there are no roots, and nerves and blood
vessels do not enter the pulp cavity at the base, e.g., Necturus (Amphibia) and some reptiles.

Among reptiles the following families possess the pleurodont type teeth: Iguanidae (Iguana), Xenosauridae
(Xenosaurus, Mexico), Zonuridae (Africa), Anguidae (Anguis, Ophisaurus), Lacertidae (Lacerta), Scincidae
(Mabuya), Helodermatidae (Heloderma, Mexico), Varanidae (Varanus), Cerrhosauridae (Africa) and many snakes.

Dr. Samar V S Rathore Department of Zoology

St. John’s College, Agra
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C. According to the Succession or Replace-ment of Teeth:

The teeth can be divided into three cate-gories:

(i) Monophyodont

(ii) Diphyodont and

(iii) Polyphyodont.

Among mammals the first two categories are found.

(i) Monophyodont:

In some mammals, only one set of teeth develops in their life time and this condition is called Monophyodont, e.g.,
Marsupials retain all their milk teeth except last premolars, the toothed whales (Odontoceti), some rodents (e.g.,
squirrels), certain insectivores (e.g., moles). Among platypus, sirenians and tooth-less whales develop only one set
of teeth (monophyodont dentition). These teeth may not erupt (some whales) or, if they develop are usually shed
shortly afterward.

(ii) Diphyodont:

In most mammals two sets of teeth are found. The first temporary set of teeth, called deciduous teeth, milk teeth or
lacteal teeth, are lost or replaced by a second set of teeth, termed permanent teeth. In bats and guinea-pigs the milk
teeth are lost even before birth. In milk teeth the molars are absent.

(iii) Polyphyodont:

In this condition, the teeth are replaced continuously throughout life, e.g., most lower vertebrates replace their teeth,
generation following generation (Dogfish, snakes).

Types of teeth:

In heterodont condition the teeth can be distinguished into 4 types. They are incisors, canines, premolars and molars.

(i) Incisors:

Dr. Samar V S Rathore Department of Zoology

St. John’s College, Agra
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They are situated anteriorly on the premaxilla in upper jaw and tips of dentaries in lower jaw. They are conical,
single-rooted and monocuspid. They are used for cutting or cropping. Incisors may be totally absent in sloth or
absent on upper jaw in sheep and ox. In rodents and lagomorphs the incisors are chisel-shaped, open rooted and
continue to grow throughout life.

(ii) Canines:

Canines lie immediately behind the incisors. They are single in each half of the jaw. They are large-pointed, long-
crowned with a single root. They are used for piercing and tearing the flesh of the prey (dog). Sometimes the canines
are used in holding the prey, mainly seen in carnivorous mammals.

In rodents and lagomorphs, the canine is absent, leaving a space in-between incisors and premolars, called diastema.
Any gap within the dental series is called diastema. In horses, the canines are relatively small. In car-nivores (dogs,
tigers and lions) the canines become spear-shaped and used for piercing and tearing the flesh. They are generally
used for holding and piercing in relation to both feeding and fighting.

(iii) Premolars:

Following the canines there are premolars or bicuspid teeth. These have two roots and two cusps. The premolars are
used for grinding the food materials.

(iv) Molars:

Molars lie behind the premolars. They have two or more roots and several cusps. Molars are used for crushing food;
premolars and molars are collectively called “Cheek teeth”.

D. On the Basis of Cusp patterns of cheek teeth:

The molars contain many cusps on their surface. The cusps are raised tiny structures or ridges on the occlusal
surface. The cusps are called cones. Depending on the number and shape of the cusps, molars are recognised in
different names.

(i) Triconodont:
In this condition molars possess 3 cones or cusps arranged in anteroposterior lines. This type of molar teeth are
found in the fossil Mesozoic mammals (Fig. 10.129A), e.g., Triconodon.

Dr. Samar V S Rathore Department of Zoology

St. John’s College, Agra
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(ii) Trituberculate:
Here the molars contain three cones or tubercles, arranged in the form of a triangle (Fig. 10.129B). It is also found
among fossil Mesozoic mammals, e.g., Spalacotherium.

(iii) Bunodont:
When the cusps in the cheek teeth remain separate and rounded, the tooth is called bunodont (mound + tooth). In
man and in some omnivore mammals the cheek teeth are bunodont type and they are used in grinding the food
material (Fig. 10.129C).

(iv) Lophodont:
If the cusps are joined to form ridges or lophs, the tooth is called lophodont. The cheek teeth of elephant are of
lophodont type. There is an intricate folding of enamel and dentine (Fig. 10.129F). These type of teeth are used to
grind all sorts of plants, and also grasses.

(v) Secodont:
When the cheek teeth are with sharp cut-ting crowns, the teeth are called secodont. This condition of teeth is present
in terrestrial carnivores. These teeth possess cutting edges and are used for cutting and shearing the flesh.

(vi) Selenodont:
Cheek teeth with crescent-shaped cusps are known as selenodont. In ruminants and horses (perissodactyla), the teeth
are seleno-dont (crescent shaped moon + tooth) type and are used for grinding the plant matter

(vii)Hypsodont:
When the crown is high and the roots are short and open (Fig. 10.129E), e.g., Horse, incisor of elephants.

4. Dental Formula:
The number of teeth in any particular species remains constant but varies in different species. So the number of teeth
is expressed by a sort of equation and is called dental formula. The maximum number of teeth in heterodont
Dr. Samar V S Rathore Department of Zoology
St. John’s College, Agra
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mammals is 44. There are mam-mals with teeth less than 44. This is due to the reduction in the number of one or
more types.

The numerators and denominators are separated by a horizontal line. The kind of teeth is indicated by initial letters i,
c, Pm, m indicating incisor, canine, premolar and molar, respectively. For further simplification the initial letters are
often omit-ted. When a certain type of tooth is absent, a zero is used to indicate the fact.

Dental formula of some mammals:

A typical primitive eutherian mammal possesses 44 teeth and it is expressed.

I3/3, c1/1, Pm4/4, m3/3 = 22 x 2 = 44.

In simpler forms it may be expressed

3.1.4.3/3.1.4.3 = 22 x 2 = 44.

Among monotremes, Tachyglossus does not possess teeth at any stage. The adult platy-pus (Ornithorhynchus) bears
no teeth.

In marsupials the milk dentition persists except the last premolar. In adult marsupials the number of incisors in upper
and lower jaws always varies except in burrowing wom-bats (phascolomys).

5. Unusual Teeth in Mammals:

(i) Elephant’s tusk:

The elephant’s tusks are the second pair of incisors in the upper-jaw. The lower incisors disappeared. The tusks are
made of ivory which is a specialized dentine. The upper incisors have no root and they grow to form tusk. Both
sexes of African elephants have tusks but in India only males bear tusks. Tusks are used in offence and defense.

(ii) Pig’s tusk:

In wild boar the upper canines are enlarged to form stout tusks. The warthog (Phacochoerus) of Africa bears 4
upward cur-ving tusks. These are transformed canines of both jaws. These are used for digging in the soil for storage
roots and tubers of the plants.

(iii) Barking deer’s tusk:

The male muntjaks and musk deer possess tusks which are the enlarged form of upper canine teeth These are used
for self defence.

(iv) Walrus’s tusk:

Dr. Samar V S Rathore Department of Zoology

St. John’s College, Agra
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They are the modified form of upper ca-nines . The primary function of the tusks is to break the clams on the ocean
floor.

Dr. Samar V S Rathore Department of Zoology

St. John’s College, Agra