1. Diversity in Dentition

2. Dentition Assignment Diversity in Dentition
For the Cow, the Human and the Dog you must explain the teeth and jaw structure including the facial muscles and how these features relate to what it eats.
You must be specific and fully explain the structures and their function. You then need to discuss how these structures relate to it’s lifestyle in terms of nutrition.
Your presentation must include:
Detailed diagrams of each (drawn diagrams are fine and can be scanned easily) with labelled structures
An explanation of each of the structures/muscles and their function for EACH animal
An essay type discussion as to how these structures are designed to help it survive.
This presentation must be in your own words and uploaded onto your website when completed. Feel free to use any software package you feel necessary. You can even use publisher and make it as a poster. Then it can go on the net and on the wall!
Remember: Diversity means DIFFERENCES so make sure you are focussing on different structures – how are they unique?

3. The Human Structure
Teeth Structure
Muscle Structure

4. Human Mastication
Mastication in humans is controlled through the four main muscles of mastication. These are the lateral pterygoid, medial pterygoid, temporalis, and masseter muscles. These allow the jaw to move fowards and backwards, up and down, and side to side.
Human teeth resemble the herbivore structure more than the carnivore one. Each row has 2 pairs of insisors followed by a pair of canines, followed by several pairs of molars and premolars.
These adaptions allow for the human hebivoric nature, as the canines help to tear the meat, the molars help grind plant and vegatable matter, and the insisors are used for snipping things.

5. The Cow Structure
Teeth Structure
Muscle Structure

6. Cow Mastication
The structure of teeth in the cow is specifically designed for eating grass. The horny pad with the row of incisors underneath help the cow crop the grass, so it can get it into the mouth. From then there is a row of flat molars and premolars. These are designed to slide across each other, thus breaking down the grass, to be stored in the cow’s first stomach, until it is chewed up again later, in the shade. (Cud)
The predominate jaw muscles in the cow are the masseter and the pterygoid muscles. These used together allow the cow to perform the side to side motion of it’s jaw which grinds up the grass it eats.

7. The Canine Structure
Teeth Structure
Muscle Structure

8. Canine Mastication
The dog’s teeth are designed for it’s carnivorous lifestyle. The four main canine teeth, and most of the others (molar and premolars) are sharp and designed for ripping and shredding the meat the dog eats. They curve inwards a little to help the dog hold it’s prey in place.
The dog’s main jaw muscle is the Temporalis muscle. This muscle is so big that it takes up most of the space in the jaw structure. As this muscle moves the jaw only up and down, the dog is to a large part unable to move it’s jaw back and forwards, or side to side.
The jaw and tooth function of the dog allows it to easily eat meat. Which is fantastic, as it is a carnivore. The up and down movement allows it to tear at the meat, with it’s jagged teeth helping to rip the meat.
(This is not canine mastication)

9. Bibliography Teeth Structure Muscle Structure Pictures Used:
whyfiles.org/shorties/147tooth/
Teeth Structure
Muscle Structure