- Project title
- Patterns of tooth development and innervation in Sirenia
- Description of the project
- Our project aims at studying the evolution of the internal mandibular morphologies of sirenians. We wish to understand how motor-sensorial systems associated to tooth innervation responded to innovations such as the highly developed vibrissae complex, the presence of thick keratinous pads instead of incisors, and the original modes of tooth replacement (dental migration and continuous tooth replacement). This will be achieved by scanning the mandibles of extant and fossil species and generating 3D models to reconstruct the internal features associated to tooth development. Tracing the phylogenetic history of tooth innervation will allow us to shed light on the role of tooth development in the evolution of new oral nervous organs and modifications of the dental formula in mammals.
Works done by the platform AST-RX
