Teeth are the hardest and most durable parts of the mammalian body. Even after millions of
years they provide a wealth of paleobiologic information. Teeth reflect the interaction of
mammals with the environment as evident from their shape and traces of mastication on their
surface. Teeth of fossil and extant mammals provide information on the diet mode of food
processing biomechanics of mastication and energy gain. Modern analytical and visualization
techniques such as micro-computed tomography high-resolution surface analysis and 3D imaging
have greatly boosted the research on dental function in recent years. The book Mammalian Teeth
- Form and Function offers a comprehensive synopsis of the latest advances in the field of
dental function research. It will be of interest not only to paleontologists and biologists
but also to students and scholars in archeology animal nutrition and dentistry.
