What We Can Learn from Horses’ Evolving Tooth Enamel

By studying equine teeth from different eras, researchers can see how the animals adapted to different grazing lands, as well as to domestication.
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The evolution of the horse, from prehistoric times to the modern-day show ring, reflects a changing environment and increasing human intervention. Scientists can see this in horses' bones, hooves, DNA, and even teeth.

The complexity of enamel structure in horses’ teeth tells an interesting story about how horses evolved and, by studying equine teeth from different eras, researchers can see how the animals adapted to different grazing lands, as well as to domestication, said Nicholas A. Famoso, PhD candidate in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Oregon in Eugene.

“Investigating the evolution of horse enamel in North America has shown that horses had been increasing the amount of enamel in their teeth to combat the increasing amounts of grit in their diets,” Famoso said.

That “grit” comes from dirt and dust associated with pasture and grassland forage, he said. It’s like us eating fresh lettuce that hasn’t been washed well enough, and we find ourselves crunching on something gritty and sand-like

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Passionate about horses and science from the time she was riding her first Shetland Pony in Texas, Christa Lesté-Lasserre writes about scientific research that contributes to a better understanding of all equids. After undergrad studies in science, journalism, and literature, she received a master’s degree in creative writing. Now based in France, she aims to present the most fascinating aspect of equine science: the story it creates. Follow Lesté-Lasserre on Twitter @christalestelas.

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