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Heterodonty and patterns of tooth replacement in Crocodylus niloticus
J A Kieser1, C Klapsidis2, L Law2
1Departments of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa.
Abstract:
Patterns of tooth replacement in the Nile crocodile Crocodylus niloticus were evaluated in the lateral radiographs of six dried skulls of 1-year-old individuals. Additionally, the ontogeny of the succession of teeth in this species was investigated in four embryos and a hatchling, which were serially sectioned. Three-dimensional, computer-generated reconstructions of these individuals suggested that there was a regular pattern of odontogenic progression. Three morphogenetic zones could be identified in each of the age classes: an incisor, a canine, and a molar region. It was thus concluded that the Nile crocodile is hetero- rather than homodont. Zahnreihen, or tooth rows, with a periodicity of one were easily identified. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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