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Modeling the Histogenetic Switch Between Enameloid and Enamel
Guillaume Houée1,2, Jérémie Bardin1, Damien Germain1
1UMR 7207 Centre de recherche en paléontologie - Paris (CR2P), Sorbonne Université, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Paris, France.
Evolution & Development
|August 4, 2026
Summary
Minor changes in cell activity and timing, not just gene mutations, likely drove the evolution of vertebrate dental tissues like enamel and enameloid. These developmental shifts explain transitions between different mineralized structures.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary developmental biology
- Vertebrate paleontology
- Biomineralization
Background:
- Enamel and enameloid are hypermineralized dental tissues in vertebrates.
- Developmental similarities suggest minor evolutionary changes could drive transitions between these tissues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test evolutionary developmental (evo-devo) hypotheses for enameloid-enamel transitions.
- To explore the role of cellular activity and timing in dental tissue evolution.
Main Methods:
- A cell-based histogenetic model was developed using simplified vertebrate properties.
- Simulations varied secreting cell parameters to reproduce dental tissue proportions.
Main Results:
- Model simulations reproduced diverse dentine, enameloid, and enamel proportions.
- Delayed epithelial cell activity (H1) and modified production rates (H3) explained enameloid-enamel transitions.
- Changes in mineralization front timing and position are crucial for dental tissue development.
Conclusions:
- Minor developmental modifications, particularly in cell activity timing and production rates, are key drivers of dental tissue evolution.
- These findings expand evolutionary explanations beyond genetic mutations to include developmental plasticity.
