Reconstructing molar growth from enamel histology in extant and extinct Equus.

ABSTRACT: The way teeth grow is recorded in dental enamel as incremental marks. Detailed analysis of tooth growth is known to provide valuable insights into the growth and the pace of life of vertebrates. Here, we study the growth pattern of the first lower molar in several extant and extinct species of Equus and explore its relationship with life history events. Our histological analysis shows that enamel extends beyond the molar's cervix in these mammals. We identified three different crown developmental stages (CDS) in the first lower molars of equids characterised by different growth rates and likely to be related to structural and ontogenetic modifications of the tooth. Enamel extension rate, which ranges from ≈400 μm/d at the beginning of crown development to rates of ≈30 μm/d near the root, a

SUBMITTER: Nacarino-Meneses C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5698294 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature