Chapter 4: Teeth Everywhere

As the chapter unveiled, Shubin related the concept of teeth to a trap rather than an interesting discovery that enlightened Shubin to trace the innerfish among humans. Although he described the topic of teeth as shortly discussed, the way he looked at the tooth is similar to how he looked at the discovered fossils introduced in earlier chapters of the book. I noticed through the chapters that Shubin is more of a person who reaches into details rather than a person who looks a topic in a broad view. Therefore, through this insight, I was able to see why Shubin's new way of looking for fossils helped him to become less materialistic. Most importantly, I was befuddled by the fact that the other parts of the human bodies are similar to teeth. Furthermore, I was shocked to find out how Ostracoderms had an armor of bone for the head made of teeth. This example showed how significance of teeth can alter one's diet and survival. In result, although I was confused on how these theories were pragmatic, I was also enlightened by how small structures like teeth can define our lives today.