Book Description

The Teeth of Non-Mammalian Vertebrates: Form, Function, Development and Growth, Second Edition is devoted to the teeth and dentitions of living fishes, amphibians, and reptiles. This book presents a comprehensive survey of the wide variety of tooth forms among non-mammalian vertebrates, based on descriptions of approximately 450 species belonging to about 170 families.This latest edition discusses the functional morphology of feeding, the attachment of teeth, and the relationship of tooth form to function, with each chapter accompanied by a comprehensive, up-to-date reference list. Following the descriptions of the teeth and dentitions in each class, four chapters review current topics with considerable research activity: tooth development; tooth replacement; and the structure, formation, and evolution of the dental hard tissues. The Teeth of Non-Mammalian Vertebrates: Form, Function, Development and Growth, Second Edition is authored by internationally recognized teachers and researchers in the field. This new edition reflects the resurgence of interest in the dentitions of non-mammalian vertebrates as experimental systems to help understand genetic changes in evolution of teeth and jaws. - Features more than 650 images, including photographs from internationally recognized researchers and world class collections - Offers in depth information on tooth structure, development, attachment, and replacement - Provides detailed descriptions of the dentitions of all living groups of non-mammalian vertebrates - Discusses the relationship between tooth form and structure to function in the feeding process