Evolution

Evolution of Teeth

Throughout time we have been able to observe evolution through the jaws and teeth of Homo sapiens, from the last common ancestor of chimpanzee and men to their current form. The size of the maxillary and mandibular region has decreased in size, along with the overall size of the teeth. Our early ancestors had a large protruding jaw, which allowed space for all 32 teeth. It is common that modern humans have to get their third molars extracted. The reasoning behind this is because of the increasing size of brain and skull, which has led to a decrease in the jaw size. In most modern cases there is not enough room for the third molars due to the decrease in jaw size. If there is enough room for the third molars, majority of the time they will be extracted to prevent infection and carries. Teeth played a vital role in survival for prehistoric man. They did not have accommodations that modern Homo sapiens have. There were no dental hygienists or dentists to care for their teeth. They needed all thirty-two teeth in order to have a high survival rate due to the loss of teeth throughout time. Other than the size of skull growing, the everyday diet has a tremendous role in evolution. There has been a great dietary shift through time. Early diets compared to modern diets have changed greatly, and has changed the size of our teeth. In the early Homo sapiens the second molar was the largest, and in the modern Homo sapiens it is the first molar. Another change observed is the size of the canines. The canines have become smaller and less narrow. The reason behind this is because of the change in diet. Change from ripping through raw meat with your canines, to now tenderizing and grilling a ribeye. Modern teeth do not play the same role as they did compared to the barbaric time span. Canines are used for ripping and tearing, whereas molars are used for mastication. This explains the purpose behind these evolved traits, modern humans do not need to tear and grind through food like earlier mankind did.