Book 5, Question 32
Tooth Talk! How Can a Tooth Tell What an Animal Ate?
Teeth come in different shapes for different foods. Sharp, pointed teeth are good for tearing meat, while flat teeth are good for grinding plants. Scientists can also look at wear marks on a tooth for extra clues about a meal.
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 5
More fun facts
- The shape of a tooth helps scientists know what an animal ate.
- Eating plants leaves wear patterns on teeth. Grazing animals like horses slowly grind their teeth down.
- From horse teeth, scientists can learn about the plants available, and the animal's age, sex and health.
- Monkeys that eat lots of leaves have molars with sharp points for slicing tough leaves.
- An early human relative called Nutcracker Man had giant molars, but chemical clues and tiny scratches show it mostly ate grasses, not nuts.
- Chemicals in teeth can show which kinds of plants an animal ate.
Sources: Smithsonian, National Park Service, Smithsonian Magazine
Questions kids ask
Can teeth fool scientists?
Sometimes. Nutcracker Man's huge teeth looked built for nuts, but tooth chemistry showed it mostly ate grass.