Book 5, Question 117
One Tooth Tells All? Why Can a Single Tooth Be Enough?
Teeth are hard and often last a long time as fossils. Their shape can hint at what an animal ate and what group it belongs to. Sometimes one tooth is enough to show scientists a new animal is out there.
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 5
More fun facts
- A tooth's shape and the thickness of its enamel tell researchers what a person ate, where they lived and more.
- Ancient teeth help scientists trace the roots of the human family.
- Scientists studied fossil teeth that are among the oldest human remains ever found in Italy.
- When George Washington became president in 1789, he had only one of his own teeth left.
- George Washington's false teeth were not made of wood. Some were made of ivory.
Sources: Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine
Questions kids ask
What can one tooth tell scientists?
Its shape and enamel can show what a person ate and where they lived.