![]() They are carnivorous and have a large number of teeth that vary in size and shape depending on their diet and species. By examining the number and arrangement of a dolphin’s teeth, researchers can gain insight into the species’ diet and feeding behavior, which can have far-reaching implications for their conservation and management.ĭolphins are highly intelligent and social marine mammals that are known for their remarkable swimming abilities and acrobatic skills. The number of teeth a dolphin has is an essential aspect of their biology, as it directly affects their ability to hunt and feed. In contrast, the smaller and more elusive spinner dolphin has only 45 to 50 teeth. For example, bottlenose dolphins, one of the most well-known dolphin species, have between 80 and 100 teeth. The number of teeth in a dolphin’s mouth varies depending on the species. Dolphins are classified as toothed whales, and as such, they have a set of conical teeth that are used for catching and holding onto prey. Understanding how many teeth dolphins have and why it matters can shed light on these remarkable creatures’ behavior and lifestyle. Dolphin teeth are a crucial component of their anatomy, enabling them to hunt and consume prey efficiently. One such attribute that has piqued the interest of marine biologists and dolphin enthusiasts alike is their teeth. These intelligent mammals are known for their playful nature, remarkable communication skills, and unique physical attributes. “You can just imagine these dolphins swimming up to a shoal of squid and wildly thrashing their heads back and forth,” Coste tells the Times.Dolphin Teeth 101: How Many Teeth Do Dolphins Have and Why It Mattersĭolphins are some of the most fascinating creatures in the ocean. Once Nihohae impaled its small, soft-bodied prey, it likely swallowed the animal whole. And its long, flattened face would have been perfect for back-and-forth head movements, per a statement. The dolphin’s neck bones were unfused, which would have allowed for a wider range of sweeping motion. Nihohae was probably around six feet in length, with a longer neck than modern dolphins and paddle-like front fins, per Newsweek. Today, the only living cetaceans with tusks are narwhals-their iconic “horn” is really a constantly growing canine tooth. Nihohae’s teeth, on the other hand, were rooted and couldn’t grow endlessly. In reality, the prehistoric dolphin’s teeth aren’t tusks-true tusks are continuously growing front teeth with no root. “Given that the teeth in Nihohae are splayed out to the side, that’s pretty good indication that there was lateral movement similar to the sweeping of a sawfish snout,” Robert Boessenecker, a paleontologist at the College of Charleston who was not involved in the study, tells the Times. And their delicate nature indicated the teeth did not play a role in combat with other dolphins or fending off predators. The teeth had no scratch marks on the enamel, which suggested they weren’t used to sift through sand or other rough material in search of prey. So, to determine how Nihohae may have used its teeth, the researchers examined them for signs of wear under a scanning electron microscope. Nihohae is a combination of Niho, the Māori word for “teeth,” and Hae, the word for “slashing.” The species name is a combination of “Mata,” which means face or point, and “Koi” for sharp.īecause of the way Nihohae’s teeth were positioned, they lay “too flat relative to each other to be able to pierce or grasp/trap prey,” per the study. Now, in a new study published Wednesday in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Coste and her colleagues name the dolphin Nihohae matakoi. Originally collected in 1998 in southern New Zealand’s Awamoko Valley, the skull sat for years in the University of Otago Geology Museum’s collections before scientists described it. “We suggest that it would have rapidly swung its head from side to side to injure or stun prey, making them easier to catch and eat.” “Mentally, I just couldn’t figure out what could possibly need teeth like that,” Ambre Coste, a paleobiologist and marine biologist at the University of Otago in New Zealand, tells the New York Times’ Jack Tamisiea.īut eventually, the team came up with a theory: To use these teeth, the dolphin might have practiced “a new feeding method not previously described in marine mammals,” Coste tells Newsweek’s Aristos Georgiou. Unlike modern dolphins, which typically have small, conical teeth protruding vertically in their mouths, the skull had several long teeth extending horizontally out of the end of its snout. The odd-looking creature swam the waters off the coast of New Zealand around 25 million years ago. Scientists have discovered a new species of prehistoric dolphin with strange, tusk-like teeth that have never been seen in living cetaceans.
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