UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
A closer look at fossilized teeth from carnivorous dinosaurs has revealed that what was once thought to be damage is actually a unique adaptation that likely contributed to the predators’ success. A study published yesterday (July 28) in Scientific Reports described microscopic serrated edges covering the surfaces of teeth from theropods including Tyrannosaurus rex and Allosaurus.
“This topic has not previously been examined with this level of detail. It shows how, at a microscopic level, the teeth are adapted for their job,” Paul Barrett, a paleobiologist at the Natural History Museum in London who was not involved in the study, told BBC News.
Researchers from the University of Toronto Mississauga and their colleagues analyzed sections of erupted and unerupted teeth from several theropods and concluded ...
