Evolution of dental tissues and paleobiology in selachians / Gilles Cuny, Guillaume Guinot, S�ebastian Enault.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

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Machine generated contents note: ch. 1 Mineralized Tissues -- 1.1. Dental structure and tissues -- 1.2. Enameloid: a problematic tissue -- 1.3. Histology and variation -- 1.4. Developmental origin and mineralization -- 1.5. Dentin -- 1.6. Homology of enameloid tissues -- ch. 2 Paleozoic Sharks -- 2.1. Do all Paleozoic shark teeth possess enameloid? -- 2.2. Ctenacanth sharks -- ch. 3 Hybodont Sharks -- 3.1. Enameloid microstructure in hybodont teeth -- 3.2. Development of specialized tooth structures and associated changes in the enameloid microstructure -- 3.3. mysterious Ptychodus -- 3.4. Conclusion -- ch. 4 Enameloid Microstructure in Rays -- 4.1. phylogenetic position of skates and rays within the neoselachians -- 4.2. Historical context -- 4.3. Batomorph enameloid: diversity and evolution -- 4.4. Durophagy and other trophic specializations -- ch. 5 Enameloid Microstructure Diversity in Modern Shark Teeth -- 5.1. Diversity and evolution of structures -- 5.2. Serrated teeth and mega-predation -- 5.3. Example of adaptation to durophagy: bullhead sharks -- ch. 6 Comparison of Enameloid Microstructure in Actinopterygian and Elasmobranch Teeth -- 6.1. Ganoine and acrodine -- 6.2. Comparison of acrodin and elasmobranch enameloid.

Annotation Evolution of Dental Tissues and Paleobiology in Selachians offers a complete overview of the terminology used to describe fish tooth microstructures, focusing on the evolution of the teeth microstructure of the cartilaginous fishes. Enameloid microstructure has become a powerful tool to decipher the phylogenetic affinities of isolated fossil chondrichthyan teeth, and, more particularly, to study the transition between the hybodont and modern elasmobranchs. However, this field of research remains quite cryptic, mostly due to limited taxon sampling. As a result, numerous approximations, particularly involving terminology, are still found in the scientific literature, and research into the relationships between the microstructure and function of teeth is just starting. Sharks and their relatives (chondrichthyans) are often seen as "living-fossils" that did not evolve much during their more than 400 million years of long history. This is incorrect, but many forget that their teeth-a hallmark of sharks-developed many innovations in terms of microstructure that allow these animals to develop a wide range of feeding strategies. The iconic triangular, serrated teeth of the white shark is for example a rather recent innovation linked to the development of a special microstructure of their enameloid. Similar innovations led to a specialization to durophagous diets in some rays. Focuses on the evolution of the teeth microstructure of the cartilaginous fishesOffers a complete overview of the terminology used to describe fish tooth microstructuresOffers an overview of convergent enameloid microstructures between actinopterygians (ray-finned fishes) and chondrichthyans to enable better understanding of the evolution of this kind of tissueHighlights the importance of isolated fossil teeth to understand the evolution of whole cladesDiscusses the use of isolated fossil teeth to understand the evolution of whole clades.