Chapter 4

Once again, I learned many new things about evolution in this chapter. I was very aware that every different species. Just as predators have sharp teeth to gnaw their meat, herbivores have teeth made specifically to cut leaves and plants. I also knew that the tooth's crown is the hardest thing next to a diamond. However, what I did not know was the teeth were used as a defensive mechanism. The fact that the earliest fishes used teeth as a defensive mechanism rather than mere chewing is absolutely fascinating. Also, it was amazing how the scientist were able to locate the fossils of teeth. Teeth are no more than a millimeter long, yet they are able to find them. It is as if they have magnifying glasses for their eyes. In reality, it is even hard for me to find a quarter that I drop on the ground. The evolution of teeth is just incredible. The way that teeth were used is so unique that it is almost a fantasy. We take teeth for granted and think of teeth as the mechanical mechanism for digestion. To think that these mere teeth that we use for chewing was used as a survival tactic is hard to imagine.