Spatial and temporal pattern for the dentition in the Australian lungfish revealed with sonic hedgehog expression profile.

ABSTRACT: We report a temporal order of tooth addition in the Australian lungfish where timing of tooth induction is sequential in the same pattern as osteichthyans along the lower jaw. The order of tooth initiation in Neoceratodus starts from the midline tooth, together with left and right ones at jaw position 2, followed by 3 and then 1. This is the pattern order for dentary teeth of several teleosts and what we propose represents a stereotypic initiation pattern shared with all osteichthyans, including the living sister group to all tetrapods, the Australian lungfish. This is contrary to previous opinions that the lungfish dentition is otherwise derived and uniquely different. Sonic hedgehog (shh) expression is intensely focused on tooth positions at different times corresponding with their initi

SUBMITTER: Smith MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2660947 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature