A conserved tooth resorption mechanism in modern and fossil snakes.

dc.contributor.authorLeBlanc, A.R.H.
dc.contributor.authorPalci, A.
dc.contributor.authorAnthwal, N.
dc.contributor.authorTucker, A.S.
dc.contributor.authorAraújo, R.
dc.contributor.authorPereira, M.F.C.
dc.contributor.authorCaldwell, M.W.
dc.date.issued2023
dc.description.abstractWhether snakes evolved their elongated, limbless bodies or their specialized skulls and teeth first is a central question in squamate evolution. Identifying features shared between extant and fossil snakes is therefore key to unraveling the early evolution of this iconic reptile group. One promising candidate is their unusual mode of tooth replacement, whereby teeth are replaced without signs of external tooth resorption. We reveal through histological analysis that the lack of resorption pits in snakes is due to the unusual action of odontoclasts, which resorb dentine from within the pulp of the tooth. Internal tooth resorption is widespread in extant snakes, differs from replacement in other reptiles, and is even detectable via non-destructive μCT scanning, providing a method for identifying fossil snakes. We then detected internal tooth resorption in the fossil snake Yurlunggur, and one of the oldest snake fossils, Portugalophis, suggesting that it is one of the earliest innovations in Pan-Serpentes, likely preceding limb loss.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityA. R. H. LeBlanc, A. Palci, N. Anthwal, A. S. Tucker, R. Araújo, M. F. C. Pereira, M. W. Caldwell
dc.identifier.citationNature Communications, 2023; 14(1):1-11
dc.identifier.doi10.1038/s41467-023-36422-2
dc.identifier.issn2041-1723
dc.identifier.issn2041-1723
dc.identifier.orcidPalci, A. [0000-0002-9312-0559]
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2440/139512
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC
dc.relation.granthttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP200102328
dc.rights© The Author(s) 2023.This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/.
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36422-2
dc.subjectTooth
dc.subjectAnimals
dc.subjectReptiles
dc.subjectSnakes
dc.subjectTooth Resorption
dc.subjectPhylogeny
dc.subjectFossils
dc.subjectBiological Evolution
dc.subject.meshTooth
dc.subject.meshAnimals
dc.subject.meshReptiles
dc.subject.meshSnakes
dc.subject.meshTooth Resorption
dc.subject.meshPhylogeny
dc.subject.meshFossils
dc.subject.meshBiological Evolution
dc.titleA conserved tooth resorption mechanism in modern and fossil snakes.
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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