Mammal Teeth: Origin, Evolution, and Diversity

In this unique book, Peter S. Ungar tells the story of mammalian teeth from their origin through their evolution to their current diversity.

Mammal Teeth traces the evolutionary history of teeth, beginning with the very first mineralized vertebrate structures half a billion years ago. Ungar describes how the simple conical tooth of early vertebrates became the molars, incisors, and other forms we see in mammals today. Evolutionary adaptations changed pointy teeth into flatter ones, with specialized shapes designed to complement the corresponding jaw.

Ungar explains tooth structure and function in the context of nutritional needs. The myriad tooth shapes produced by evolution offer different solutions to the fundamental problem of how to squeeze as many nutrients as possible out of foods. The book also highlights Ungar's own path-breaking studies that show how microwear analysis can help us understand ancient diets.

The final part of the book provides an in-depth examination of mammalian teeth today, surveying all orders in the class, family by family. Ungar describes some of the more bizarre teeth, such as tusks, and the mammal diversity that accompanies these morphological wonders.

Mammal Teeth captures the evolution of mammals, including humans, through the prism of dental change. Synthesizing decades of research, Ungar reveals the interconnections among mammal diet, dentition, and evolution. His book is a must-read for paleontologists, mammalogists, and anthropologists.

The Johns Hopkins University Press

In this unique book, Peter S. Ungar tells the story of mammalian teeth from their origin through their evolution to their current diversity.

Mammal Teeth traces the evolutionary history of teeth, beginning with the very first mineralized vertebrate structures half a billion years ago. Ungar describes how the simple conical tooth of early vertebrates became the molars, incisors, and other forms we see in mammals today. Evolutionary adaptations changed pointy teeth into flatter ones, with specialized shapes designed to complement the corresponding jaw.

Ungar explains tooth structure and function in the context of nutritional needs. The myriad tooth shapes produced by evolution offer different solutions to the fundamental problem of how to squeeze as many nutrients as possible out of foods. The book also highlights Ungar's own path-breaking studies that show how microwear analysis can help us understand ancient diets.

The final part of the book provides an in-depth examination of mammalian teeth today, surveying all orders in the class, family by family. Ungar describes some of the more bizarre teeth, such as tusks, and the mammal diversity that accompanies these morphological wonders.

Mammal Teeth captures the evolution of mammals, including humans, through the prism of dental change. Synthesizing decades of research, Ungar reveals the interconnections among mammal diet, dentition, and evolution. His book is a must-read for paleontologists, mammalogists, and anthropologists.

Library Journal

In this work, Ungar (anthropology, Univ. of Arkansas) focuses primarily on how teeth have evolved to extract the most nutrients out of food sources but also examines microwear patterns to determine ancient diets. While there are similar books, this work thoroughly considers teeth across multiple species and provides in-depth analyses of teeth and jaw structures and function. Readers will further understand the complexity of examining teeth evolution; for example, phylogenetic contexts are extremely important to note, as species such as lemurs and giant pandas both eat bamboo, but their teeth design, jaw alignment, and structure are completely different. In this technical resource, graphs, photos, and illustrations augment the points made in the text. With three main sections (key terms/concepts, evolution, and current teeth) and 13 chapters, the organization enables readers unfamiliar with the topic to gain a good understanding of the discussions. VERDICT Highly recommended for academic libraries and public/special libraries with anthropology and/or natural history collections. This is also accessible to lay readers.—Sarah Statz Cords, The Reader's Advisor Online

Peter S. Ungar is Distinguished Professor and chair of anthropology at the University of Arkansas.

The Johns Hopkins University Press