Stone is also an associate director of the Center for Evolution and Medicine. Stone and Gilby are both research affiliates with the Institute of Human Origins and faculty in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change. The paper, which was co-authored by ASU primatologist Associate Professor Ian Gilby, was published in Nature Scientific Reports and conducted in ASU’s ancient DNA lab, directed by Stone. Results also indicate that though there are many differences between chimpanzee and human oral bacteria, it is not clear if the differences are a result of diet, geography, host genomes or other unknown factors.
gingivalis, from a single chimpanzee, and they found it is not too different from ones found in humans.
CHIMPANZEE TEETH FACTS FULL
Therefore, analyses of the results could only be compared against existing modern and prehistoric human samples.įrom this first-of-its-kind investigation, researchers were able to assemble a full genome of a common pathogenic bacteria, P. Surprisingly, no other research projects have focused on great ape oral ecosystems using dental calculus. The study, led by Arizona State University genetic researchers Andrew Ozga and Regents Professor Anne Stone, found that there are core differences between chimpanzee and human oral bacteria. So, when researchers were looking to understand the oral microbiome of our closest relative - chimpanzees - they turned to this record of biological information. This is why dental calculus, or plaque, is a rich source of ancient DNA in the archaeological record and has been used to answer many biological and anthropological questions about Neanderthal diet and behavior and patterns of ancient human migration. You can also follow me on Facebook.Dental plaque - the stuff that your hygienist is always scraping off your teeth - holds a treasure trove of your DNA and, if not cleaned off occasionally, will build up and remain on your teeth long after you are gone. Got a question about the weird and wild animal world? Tweet me or leave me a note or photo in the comments below. (See “ Rare ‘Smiling’ Bird Photographed in Colombia.”)Įmily has made appliances to straighten the crooked beaks of birds, as well as prosthetics to repair broken beaks so they can function properly. That’s all in a day’s work for Emily, who will even do dentistry on animals with no teeth.īirds, for example, use their beaks for feeding and numerous other functions, and may have problems if a beak doesn’t fit together quite normally (think a human overbite). It’s not easy: A normal dental drill won’t work on hippos’ large, round, ever-growing incisors, which means you “have to cut the nerve out with a scalpel.” (You can see a wolf eel’s upper jaw in this photo.)Įmily hasn’t worked on a wolf eel, but “I’ve done root canals on hippos,” he said. Both types are ideal for crushing crabs and other crustaceans. The wolf eel, for example, “has a whole row of teeth right in the roof of his mouth,” called palatal teeth, in addition to long canines. “They are made the same-with enamel, dentine, and a ligament to support them inside the jawbone”-but the shape and size can vary wildly, he said. (Also see “ The Real Story of ‘The Incredible Dr. In his four decades of animal dentistry, Emily has seen some of the world’s weirdest choppers. When an animal loses a tusk, “all the soft tissue inside of it will have disappeared, and then it appears as if the tooth has always been hollow.” Reiter, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, said via email. (Also see “ Elephants Use Their Trunks to Ace Intelligence Tests.”)Ī part of the tooth called the apex, which is located in the jawbone, “allows plenty of space for the pulp that lets the tooth grow,” Alexander M. Tusks may “look like canines that have become long,” but they’re actually the elephant’s incisors-the narrow teeth at the front of the mouth, Emily said.Īnd, like our own teeth, a tusk has a hollow chamber containing blood, nerve, and pulp tissue that keep the tooth nourished and strong. Unauthorized use is prohibited.Ĭontinuing the tooth trend, reader Danny Huynh wondered, “Why are elephant tusks hollow?”
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