Selenodont teeth are the type of
molars
The molars or molar teeth are large, flat teeth at the back of the mouth. They are more developed in mammals. They are used primarily to grind food during chewing. The name ''molar'' derives from Latin, ''molaris dens'', meaning "millstone to ...
and
premolars commonly found in
ruminant
Ruminants (suborder Ruminantia) are hoofed herbivorous grazing or browsing mammals that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principally through microbial actions. The ...
herbivores. They are characterized by low
crowns, and crescent-shaped cusps when viewed from above (crown view).
The term comes from the
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic pe ...
roots (, 'moon' or 'moonlike'), and , (, 'tooth').
They differ from human molars in that the
occlusal surface is not covered in
enamel; rather, the layers of enamel,
dentine, and
cementum are all exposed, with
cementum in the middle, surrounded by a layer of enamel, then a layer of
dentine, all wrapped in a second outer layer of enamel.
Viewed from the side, selenodont teeth form a series of triangular
cusp
A cusp is the most pointed end of a curve. It often refers to cusp (anatomy), a pointed structure on a tooth.
Cusp or CUSP may also refer to:
Mathematics
* Cusp (singularity), a singular point of a curve
* Cusp catastrophe, a branch of bifurc ...
s. The combination of triangular profiles with ridges formed by the exposed layers makes the lateral chewing motion of
ruminant
Ruminants (suborder Ruminantia) are hoofed herbivorous grazing or browsing mammals that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principally through microbial actions. The ...
s an effective way to break-up tough vegetable matter.
References
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Types of teeth