Tag: teeth

Volcano-eating beavers evolved thicker teeth

The volcanic activity that shaped Yellowstone national park may have sculpted something on a much smaller scale too – the teeth of some rodents. Mountain beavers have teeth with deep crowns, thick enamel and short roots – a condition called hypsodonty, typical of animals that chew gritty, silica-rich grasses. Yet they are partial to soft plants, so why the tough teeth? Image: cliff1066™

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Early baby dinosaur had full-grown bite

A rare baby dinosaur skull – only the size of a rat’s head – confirms Heterodontosaurus as one of the most unusual of all dinosaurs. The 45-millimetre skull has features characteristic of a juvenile – large “puppy dog” eye sockets, and a snub nose – but it also sports the meat-tearing canine teeth normally associated with adults. Image: Society of Vertebrate Paleontology

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