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General_Effort@lemmy.world to science@lemmy.worldEnglish · 2 days ago

Teeth first evolved as sensory tissue in the armored exoskeletons of ancient fish, fossil scans find

phys.org

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Teeth first evolved as sensory tissue in the armored exoskeletons of ancient fish, fossil scans find

phys.org

General_Effort@lemmy.world to science@lemmy.worldEnglish · 2 days ago
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Anyone who has ever squirmed through a dental cleaning can tell you how sensitive teeth can be. This sensitivity gives important feedback about temperature, pressure—and yes, pain—as we bite and chew our food. However, the sensitive parts inside the hard enamel first evolved for something quite different.

WHAT?!

Original paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08944-w

  • General_Effort@lemmy.worldOP
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    1 day ago

    I think it’s a reply to my incredulous “what?!”

    • Secret Music@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      1 day ago

      Oooh, that actually makes sense lol. Guess I’m just slow.

      • General_Effort@lemmy.worldOP
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        1 day ago

        Ehh. It took me a while, too, and I wrote it. Seriously though. What kind of sick evolutionary history is that? This is worse than the whole swim bladder thing. At least that doesn’t make me uncomfortable.

        • lars@lemmy.sdf.org
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          3 hours ago

          swim bladder

          I beg your pardon

          • General_Effort@lemmy.worldOP
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            21 minutes ago

            Swim bladders evolved from lungs. You wouldn’t think that something that makes the fishies better ocean divers originally evolved to let them breathe air.

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