Story: Dolphins

Fossilised teeth (2nd of 2)

Fossilised teeth

The teeth of the shark-toothed dolphin were very different from those of modern dolphins, which are all simple conical teeth more suitable for grasping than for chewing. The teeth of this more ancient dolphin are strongly differentiated, with cone-shaped incisors at the front of the jaw and more complex teeth at the back.

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Geology Museum, University of Otago

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How to cite this page:

Gerard Hutching, 'Dolphins - Ancient dolphins – the fossil record', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/4692/fossilised-teeth (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Gerard Hutching, published 12 Jun 2006, updated 1 Sep 2015