Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2026
07:47
The Slice Culture Method for Following Development of Tooth Germs In Explant Culture
Published on: November 13, 2013
Evolution of mammal tooth patterns: new insights from a developmental prediction model
Elodie Renvoisé1, Alistair R Evans, Ahmad Jebrane
1UMR CNRS 5561 Biogéosciences, University of Burgundy, 6 Bld Gabriel, Dijon 21000, France. Elodie.Renvoise@u-bourgogne.fr
Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|February 4, 2009
Summary
Mammalian tooth evolution models are challenged by vole (arvicoline) molar sizes. This study suggests a new model, highlighting rapid first molar elongation during arvicoline radiation, differing from the inhibitory cascade.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Evolutionary biology
- Paleontology
Background:
- Mammalian evolution is often studied through dental development.
- A proposed inhibitory cascade model explains molar size regulation in mammals.
- Some mammals, particularly voles (arvicolines), do not conform to this model.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences between arvicoline and murine dental development within the inhibitory cascade model.
- To propose an alternative evolutionary model for arvicoline tooth development.
- To integrate a temporal dimension into developmental models of mammalian evolution.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of molar size patterns in arvicoline and murine lineages.
- Evaluation of the inhibitory cascade model against observed arvicoline dental morphology.
- Development of a time-calibrated model to explain arvicoline evolutionary trajectories.
Main Results:
- The inhibitory cascade model does not accurately predict molar sizes in arvicolines due to a significantly elongated first lower molar.
- Arvicoline evolution shows a distinct pattern characterized by a developmental gap and rapid acquisition of a large first lower molar.
- This rapid molar development is contemporaneous with the radiation of arvicoline genera.
Conclusions:
- The inhibitory cascade model requires revision to account for diverse mammalian evolutionary pathways.
- Arvicoline evolution presents a unique developmental trajectory, diverging from established mammalian models.
- This study offers alternative hypotheses for mammalian evolutionary development, emphasizing species-specific adaptations.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Tooth Anatomy
The human tooth enables us to eat a variety of foods, speak clearly, and even aid in shaping our faces. Teeth are composed of various elements that work together. Here's a detailed look at the anatomy of a human tooth.
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.
01:15Teeth
The formation of teeth, also known as odontogenesis, is a complex process that begins in utero, around the sixth week of embryonic development. There are three stages to this process: the bud stage, the cap stage, and the bell stage.
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
01:24Evolution of New Traits in Microbes
Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...
01:51Determination
During embryogenesis, cells become progressively committed to different fates through a two-step process: specification followed by determination. Specification is demonstrated by removing a segment of an early embryo, “neutrally” culturing the tissue in vitro—for example, in a petri dish with simple medium—and then observing the derivatives. If the cultured region gives rise to cell types that it would normally generate in the embryo, this means that it is specified. In contrast, determination...