Teeth News and Research

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Fossils of Giant Sea Lizard With Dagger-Like Teeth Show How Our Oceans Have Fundamentally Changed Since the Dinosaur Era

Paleontologists have discovered a strange new species of marine lizard with dagger-like teeth that lived near the end of the age of dinosaurs.

6 Mar 2024

'Synthetic tongue' identifies and kills oral bacteria

From the discomfort of plaque buildup on the teeth to the unpleasant condition of halitosis, bacteria play a significant role in oral health.

27 Feb 2024

Prefrontal Neurons’ Cascade of Phonetic Representations

A new study led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) uses sophisticated brain recording techniques to show how neurons in the human brain cooperate to enable people to plan words for speech and then produce them verbally.

5 Feb 2024

Genomic Insights Into the Evolution of Gigantism in Cetaceans

Certain gene regions in cetaceans (whales, porpoises, and dolphins) play a role in explaining the remarkable size differences among species, such as the Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), which can reach lengths of up to 30 m – almost 10 m longer than a bus – in contrast to the Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), which typically reaches a maximum length of 4 m.

23 Jan 2024

Ancient DNA Reveals Reason for High Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s Rates in Europe

Researchers have created the world’s largest ancient human gene bank by analysing the bones and teeth of almost 5,000 humans who lived across western Europe and Asia up to 34,000 years ago.

10 Jan 2024

Zipping Up Chromosomes: The Synaptonemal Complex Revealed

We have two copies of each chromosome in every cell in our bodies except in our reproductive cells. Sperm and egg cells contain a single copy of each chromosome with a unique mix of genes from our parents, an evolutionary trick to give our offspring genetic variability.

4 Jan 2024

Research Reveals Three New Marsupial Species - Though All Likely extinct

The exciting discovery of three new species of a small Australian marsupial has been tempered by the sad fact that each of the newly identified species of mulpkgara is likely already extinct.

25 Oct 2023

Bat Skull Sheds Light on Evolution of Echolocation

Bats have one of the poorest fossil records among mammals, with approximately 80% of it estimated as missing.

19 Oct 2023

Study Reconstructs Skull of 12-Million-Year-Old Great Ape Species

A new study led by scientists at the American Museum of Natural History, Brooklyn College, and the Catalan Institute of Paleontology Miquel Crusafont has reconstructed the well-preserved but damaged skull of a great ape species that lived about 12 million years ago.

17 Oct 2023

Baru Iylwenpeny, the ‘Skilled Hunter’ Crocodile of Central Australia’s Past

A fearsome fossil crocodile that once inhabited Central Australia around 8 million years ago has finally been bestowed with a scientific name.

25 Sep 2023

The Role of Peristome Geometry in Carnivorous Pitcher Plant Prey Capture

The form, size, and geometry of carnivorous pitcher plants dictate the type of prey they capture, according to researchers from the University of Oxford’s Botanic Garden and the Mathematical Institute. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on September 8th, 2023.

11 Sep 2023

Targeted MicroRNA-34a Therapy Shows Promise in Slowing Tumor Growth in Mice

A new cancer therapy developed by Purdue University researchers attacks tumors by tricking cancer cells into absorbing a snippet of RNA that naturally blocks cell division.

5 Sep 2023

Protein Analysis of Ancient Cauldrons Reveals Diet of Caucasus People

Archaeologists have long been drawing conclusions about how ancient tools were used by the people who crafted them based on written records and context clues.

21 Aug 2023

Stem Cells Used to Create Tooth Enamel in the Lab

Organoids have now been created from stem cells to secrete the proteins that form dental enamel, the substance that protects teeth from damage and decay.

16 Aug 2023

Fossil Phytoliths Reveal That Early Birds Were Leaf Eaters

A new type of analysis of a spectacular 120-million-year-old fossil skeleton of the extinct early bird Jeholornis from northeastern China has revealed the oldest evidence for birds eating leaves, marking the earliest known evolution of arboreal plant-eating among birds.

2 Aug 2023

Whitespotted Eagle Rays Have a Broader Diet Than Previously Thought

With mighty jaws and plate-like teeth, the whitespotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) can pretty much crunch on anything.

2 Aug 2023

Caecilians Pass Microbes to Their Young Through Skin-Feeding

Caecilians are an elusive type of amphibian that primarily live underground and look like a cross between a worm and a snake. One of the few things that is known about caecilians is their unique method for feeding their young.

25 Jul 2023

New Protein Found to be Key to Proper Functioning of Acinar Cells

The energy supply in the body has been regulated by the pancreas, located behind the stomach. This mechanism happens by secreting proteins (enzymes) accountable for glucose–the body’s primary fuel–reaching other organs when needed and in the exact amount.

24 Jul 2023

Novel Insights Into Multimodal Communication Development in Young Chimpanzees

Young chimpanzees combine different gestures, vocalizations and facial expressions in a way which echoes the development of communication in human infants, according to new research.

7 Jun 2023

X-Ray Imaging Enables the Classification of Previously-Unidentified Marine Reptile Fossil From Svalbard

X-ray examination has enabled the classification of a previously-unidentified marine reptile fossil from Edgeøya, Svalbard, and the technique could provide future unique insights into ancient life here, according to a study published May 31, 2023 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Victoria S. Engelschiøn of the University of Oslo and colleagues.

1 Jun 2023