Labyrinthodont teeth

Finally, I'm getting some new content up on here!   Today's blog post is about palaeoart, though it's really more art than palaeo.  These are sculptural studies showing three cross sections of labyrinthodont teeth.






Labyrinthodonts were a group of carnivorous amphibians common during the late Palaeozoic and early Mesozoic, and their key distinctive feature was their teeth.  These things are fascinating.  What's happening here is that the enamel folds in on itself towards the center of the tooth, creating characteristic channels inside the tooth structure.

 It seems the teeth evolved this way because the infolded enamel made them stronger while the teeth were growing.

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