Comparative microstructural study on the teeth of Mesozoic birds and non-avian dinosaurs
Although it is commonly considered that, in birds, there is a trend towards reduced dentition, teeth persisted in birds for 90 Ma and numerous macroscopic morphologies are observed. However, the extent to which the microstructure of bird teeth differs from other lineages is poorly understood. To exp...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Royal Society
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
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| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.230147 |
| _version_ | 1797825397984854016 |
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| author | Yan Wang Zhiheng Li Chun-Chieh Wang Alida M. Bailleul Min Wang Jingmai O'Connor Jinhua Li Xiaoting Zheng Rui Pei Fangfang Teng Xiaoli Wang Zhonghe Zhou |
| author_facet | Yan Wang Zhiheng Li Chun-Chieh Wang Alida M. Bailleul Min Wang Jingmai O'Connor Jinhua Li Xiaoting Zheng Rui Pei Fangfang Teng Xiaoli Wang Zhonghe Zhou |
| author_sort | Yan Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although it is commonly considered that, in birds, there is a trend towards reduced dentition, teeth persisted in birds for 90 Ma and numerous macroscopic morphologies are observed. However, the extent to which the microstructure of bird teeth differs from other lineages is poorly understood. To explore the microstructural differences of the teeth of birds in comparison with closely related non-avialan dinosaurs, the enamel and dentine-related features were evaluated in four Mesozoic paravian species from the Yanliao and Jehol biotas. Different patterns of dentinal tubular tissues with mineralized extensions of the odontoblast processes were revealed through the examination of histological sectioning under electron microscopy. Secondary modification of the tubular structures, forming reactive sclerotic dentin of Longipteryx, and the mineralization of peritubular dentin of Sapeornis were observed in the mantle dentin region. The new observed features combined with other dentinal-associated ultrastructure suggest that the developmental mechanisms controlling dentin formation are quite plastic, permitting the evolution of unique morphologies associated with specialized feeding behaviours in the toothed birds. Proportionally greater functional stress placed on the stem bird teeth may have induced reactive dentin mineralization, which was observed more often within tubules of these taxa. This suggests modifications to the dentin to counteract potential failure. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T10:53:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8cacdf5b7c46473eb1dccc533f539a63 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T10:53:27Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-8cacdf5b7c46473eb1dccc533f539a632023-05-17T07:27:24ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032023-05-0110510.1098/rsos.230147Comparative microstructural study on the teeth of Mesozoic birds and non-avian dinosaursYan Wang0Zhiheng Li1Chun-Chieh Wang2Alida M. Bailleul3Min Wang4Jingmai O'Connor5Jinhua Li6Xiaoting Zheng7Rui Pei8Fangfang Teng9Xiaoli Wang10Zhonghe Zhou11Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi, Shandong 276000Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 142 Xi-zhi-men-wai Street, Beijing 100044National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu 30076Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 142 Xi-zhi-men-wai Street, Beijing 100044Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 142 Xi-zhi-men-wai Street, Beijing 100044Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL 60605Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Innovation Academy for Earth Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGGCAS), Beijing 100029Tianyu Natural History Museum of Shandong, Pingyi, Shandong 273300Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 142 Xi-zhi-men-wai Street, Beijing 100044Xinghai Paleontological Museum of Dalian, Dalian, Liaoning 116023Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi, Shandong 276000Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 142 Xi-zhi-men-wai Street, Beijing 100044Although it is commonly considered that, in birds, there is a trend towards reduced dentition, teeth persisted in birds for 90 Ma and numerous macroscopic morphologies are observed. However, the extent to which the microstructure of bird teeth differs from other lineages is poorly understood. To explore the microstructural differences of the teeth of birds in comparison with closely related non-avialan dinosaurs, the enamel and dentine-related features were evaluated in four Mesozoic paravian species from the Yanliao and Jehol biotas. Different patterns of dentinal tubular tissues with mineralized extensions of the odontoblast processes were revealed through the examination of histological sectioning under electron microscopy. Secondary modification of the tubular structures, forming reactive sclerotic dentin of Longipteryx, and the mineralization of peritubular dentin of Sapeornis were observed in the mantle dentin region. The new observed features combined with other dentinal-associated ultrastructure suggest that the developmental mechanisms controlling dentin formation are quite plastic, permitting the evolution of unique morphologies associated with specialized feeding behaviours in the toothed birds. Proportionally greater functional stress placed on the stem bird teeth may have induced reactive dentin mineralization, which was observed more often within tubules of these taxa. This suggests modifications to the dentin to counteract potential failure.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.230147birdnon-avian dinosaurdiettoothdentinenamel |
| spellingShingle | Yan Wang Zhiheng Li Chun-Chieh Wang Alida M. Bailleul Min Wang Jingmai O'Connor Jinhua Li Xiaoting Zheng Rui Pei Fangfang Teng Xiaoli Wang Zhonghe Zhou Comparative microstructural study on the teeth of Mesozoic birds and non-avian dinosaurs Royal Society Open Science bird non-avian dinosaur diet tooth dentin enamel |
| title | Comparative microstructural study on the teeth of Mesozoic birds and non-avian dinosaurs |
| title_full | Comparative microstructural study on the teeth of Mesozoic birds and non-avian dinosaurs |
| title_fullStr | Comparative microstructural study on the teeth of Mesozoic birds and non-avian dinosaurs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparative microstructural study on the teeth of Mesozoic birds and non-avian dinosaurs |
| title_short | Comparative microstructural study on the teeth of Mesozoic birds and non-avian dinosaurs |
| title_sort | comparative microstructural study on the teeth of mesozoic birds and non avian dinosaurs |
| topic | bird non-avian dinosaur diet tooth dentin enamel |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.230147 |
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