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Kōrero: Dolphins

Fossilised teeth

Image
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.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Geology Museum, University of Otago

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Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Gerard Hutching, Dolphins – Ancient dolphins – the fossil record, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/photograph/4692/fossilised-teeth (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Gerard Hutching, i tāngia i te 2 March 2009, updated 1 September 2015.