Videos
Podcasts
Blogs
Quizzes
Games
You asked:
If dinosaurs evolved into birds, why are there no modern birds with teeth? — Lee, Dusseldorf, Germany
Marshall answered:
It is true that all birds today have beaks. You do not see any birds with enamel. But if you look at the fossil record, you can see that birds once did have teeth. Archaeopteryx (the earliest fossilized bird found to date) has teeth. But if you think about teeth, you realize that they present problems for an animal that is doing everything possible to stay light for flight. Teeth themselves are heavy, and gums are heavy, and saliva and salivary glands are heavy. A beak, by comparison, is very light and more versatile.
Comment Now