• Question: do any animals loose baby teeth like humans and grow adult ones ?

    Asked by jessc to Charlotte, Jo, Kevin, Louise, Valeria on 18 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Kevin Mahon

      Kevin Mahon answered on 18 Jun 2012:

      This is seen in all mammals that we are aware of – at least to some degree! The number of sets we have can vary from group to group (Elephants have 5 for example). Reptiles and sharks, however as another example, shed old or broken teeth and grow new ones throughout their lives, getting through hundreds of sets – there is no limit to the number of teeth they can have. Their teeth are not deeply rooted in the jaw like those of mammals, and have no nerves in them like ours do.

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