Chapter 4: Teeth Everywhere

The first thing Shubin mentions in this chapter is how teeth are one of the most important parts of a fossil. I would have never guessed that teeth were so important; i had never seen teeth in that sort of light. Also, when he says that before he couldn't find a single fossil but once he found one he could see them all, it made me think, "have I ever encountered a fossil?" Silly thought, but it's possible.

When he returns to school after his first expedition, he notes that he had developed the "expedition bug." Is it really that exciting to discover fossils? Then he starts talking about his second expedition, and says that they dug for two weeks, and that amazed me at how determined and patient paleontologists must be.

Another thing that interested me was what the tooth was made out of, a molecule called hydroxyapatite. He uses the comparison "trying to cut a steak with a sponge" (74). And i learned more about what enamel was and how different animals such as herbivores and carnivores have different types of teeth to help them crush and chew what they eat.

At first i thought this chapter would be boring, but i actually learned a lot from it. And i read it quite fast despite how long it was. I look forward to reading the next chapter.

-Shay Fajardo