Developmental constraints conserve evolutionary pattern in an osteichthyan dentition

Moya Meredith Smith*, Natasha I. Krupina, Jean Joss

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    17 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    The lungfish dentition is different from other osteichthyan fish because it has a characteristic and unique pattern of teeth arranged as toothplates. Growth, addition of teeth, and retention as part of a statodont dentition are determined by the initiation pattern. In adult lungfish new teeth are only added laterally to each radial row in the dentition. This is in marked contrast to marginal rows of teeth with regular, alternating replacement in most osteichthyans. We analyze development from fossil hatchling forms of the Late Devonian dipnoan Andreyevichthys and compare with those of Neoceratodus, the Australian lungfish. The specific pattern of development, unique within lungfish, is also present in the transitory, marginal, anterior dentition in both, reflecting a strongly conserved developmental pattern. These marginal teeth form but are then lost in both, so that also this program of development is conserved within lungfish for 360 million years, from the earliest known form.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)113-119
    Number of pages7
    JournalConnective Tissue Research
    Volume43
    Issue number2-3
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2002

    Keywords

    • Constraints
    • Dentition
    • Development
    • Evolution
    • Lungfish
    • Toothplates

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