Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2026

The Slice Culture Method for Following Development of Tooth Germs In Explant Culture
Published on: November 13, 2013
Gingival eruption sequences of permanent teeth in early hominids
Abstract:
Gingival eruption of the permanent teeth of Australopithecus, Paranthropus, and early Homo, diagnosed from enamel scratches and facets, is similar save for two sequences: eruption of the canines relative to the premolars which may be sexually dimorphic; and agenesis of M3 with delayed eruption of M2, first seen in Homo at two million years. Gingival eruption sequences are similar also for early and modern Homo, except that in some individuals today M3, M2, M1 and I2 take longer to form and emerge through the gingiva as functioning teeth. Probably, from two million years to the present in the evolutionary history of Homo dental development slowed-down. More and more of ontogeny has been taken over for eruption.
Related Concept Videos
What is Evolutionary History?
The Fossil Record
Oral Cavity
Teeth: The teeth are the hardest structures in our bodies. Humans have two sets of teeth throughout their lifetime: deciduous (baby) teeth and permanent teeth. Each tooth consists of several parts: the crown (visible part), the root (embedded in the jaw), enamel (hard outer...
Teeth
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...
Tooth Anatomy
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.
Development of the Oral Microbiota

