How Do You Identify Types Of Teeth On Animal Skulls?
Identifying the teeth can be the first step toward discovering what type of animal the skull belonged to, and what that animal ate. Herbivores have flat, broad teeth that are good for grinding plant matter, while carnivores have sharp, pointy teeth that are used to tear meat. Omnivores, which includes humans and many other mammals, have both tearing and grinding teeth to assist in the ingestion of many types of foods. Different omnivores have different numbers of each kind of tooth, reflecting their usual diet. Compare the sizes and shapes of the various teeth in the skull. If the teeth are of different shapes and sizes, the skull probably belonged to a mammal. If all of the teeth appear to be the same, the skull could belong to a reptile. If the teeth are pointy, it was a carnivorous reptile, but if they are broad and flat, it was an herbivorous reptile. Turtles have no teeth at all. Inspect the very front teeth in the skull. These are the incisors, which are used to take bites out of
