Cristina Zenato Instagram – Day 3 Question 3
Let’s talk about sharks’ teeth.
Of all the parts of sharks, the teeth might be the best known and the ones to trigger interest and fascination.
Teeth are in general composed of two parts, the crown and the root but not the traditional root as in mammals, as it is not connected to the jaw bone.
The teeth resemble the same shape as the dermal denticles of the skin and they form continuously throughout a sharks’ life.
Sharks replace teeth at different times and in different ways depending on the species; other species replace the entire arch at once instead of one tooth at the time.
Due to the different dietary habits of each species, teeth present a wide range of shapes, from grinding plaques to long and thin grasping teeth.
But we cannot mention the specialization of the sharks’ teeth without the incredible combined specialization of the jaw.
Most species present a hystolic jaw suspension, in which the upper jaw is not attached to the cranium. This system allows for mobility of the jaw and the development of a protractile bite.
It is the reason why we cannot see teeth in many species while they are swimming; unfortunately we have been subjected to protuding sharks’ jaws by most media publications and productions that we find it strange to instead see sharks in their normal posture and at time being unable to notice the teeth.
Image of Queen, Great Hammerhead shark, where the teeth are half visible, produting from the jaw line by @kewinlorenzen with @isotta_underwater_housings | Posted on 13/May/2024 17:01:44
