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Enamel Structure in Odontocete Whales Scanning Microscopy Volume 1 Number 3 Article 22 4-1-1987 Enamel Structure in Odontocete Whales M. Ishiyama Nippon Dental University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/microscopy Part of the Life Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Ishiyama, M. (1987) "Enamel Structure in Odontocete Whales," Scanning Microscopy: Vol. 1 : No. 3 , Article 22. Available at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/microscopy/vol1/iss3/22 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Western Dairy Center at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Scanning Microscopy by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Scanning Microscopy, Vol. 1, No. 3, 1987 (Pages 1071- 1079) 0891-7035/87$3.00+.00 Scanning Microscopy International, Chicago (AMF O'Hare), IL 60666 USA ENAMEL STRUCTURE IN ODONTOCETE WHALES M. Ishiyama Department of Oral Anatomy, Nippon Dental University, Niigata 1-8 Hamaura-cho , Niigata 951, JAPAN (Received for publication June 01, 1986, and in revised form April 01, 1987) Abstract Introduction With regard to the enamel structure of mam­ Cetaceans, belonging to mammalia, appeared in mals, a large number of studies have been reported the early Tertiary times in the evolutionary history in the past. Of them, however, the enamel structure of vertebrates ( Colbert, 1980) and are highly adapted _ of odontocetes has not yet been sufficiently eluci ­ to ocean life. Consequently marked changes took dated. The author therefore observed the enamel place in various regions in their bodies, resulting in structure of 11 species in 7 families of living the deformation or disappearance of even some odontocetes. fundamental characters of mammals. This tendency A clear prism structure in the enamel is noted is also conspicuously exhibited in the teeth. For in delphinids and Pontoporia blainvillei. Neophocaena instance, the teeth have disappeared in adults of phocaenoides has a very simple-structured prism, but Mysticeti, and not only has the fundamental dental even this structure is obvious only in the deep layer formula of mammals been lost but also the property of the enamel, disappearing gradually from the mid of heterodonty in odontocetes. layer to surface layer. Specialization of odontocetes teeth is noted also The prism pattern of delphinids differs signi ­ in the dental structure, and there has been a report ficantly depending on the site of the enamel; that of of the absence of enamel in the teeth of Physeter Pontoporia shows as a whole pattern 1. On the catodon and Berardius bairdi(Kuroe, 1961; Osawa et other hand, the enamel of Physeter catodon, al., 1981). However, there has also been a report of Berardius bairdi, Phocoena phocoena, Phocoenoides the presence of enamel at an extremely narrow site dalli and Delphmapterus leucus is prismless . The at the tip in Physeter teeth (Ohsumi et al., 1963). enamel of Physeter and Phocoena shows pseudo ­ Therefore, whether the enamel is present or absent prisms; that of Phocoenoides contams enamel tubuli. in the teeth of these species is probably a question The enamel of Berardms and Delphinapterus is 3 to that should first be elucidated when the dental 8 µm thick, which is extremely thin for mammalian structure of odontocetes is studied. enamel. No enamel was noted in Monodon monoceros As a whole, definite reports concerning the teeth. enamel structure of odontocetes are few: only The enamel structure of living odontocetes is Shobusawa (1952) and Kawai (1955) have stated brief thus very variable. Several characteristic structures findings on 2 or 3 kinds of odontocetes in the having been present during the evolutionary course comparative histological study of mammalian enamel. of this tissue are still present in some of them. As Boyde (1964, 1969) has mentioned structure of the the results of comparative histologic study, it is prism pattern of odontocetes in his study of considered that the variable enamel structure of liv­ mammalian enamel structure, employing several ing odontocetes is a secondary phenomenon produced species of odontocetes. Furthermore, Boyde (1980) during the degenerative history of the enamel. has summarized the enamel structure of odontocetes. Recently, Ishiyama (1984) has reported the enamel structure (mainly using scanning electron microscopy) in 7 species and has revealed the great variabilities of the enamel structure among the species. This paper is _intended to review the enamel structure of odontocetes adding new findings. Key Words: Odontocete whales, dental enamel, Materials and Methods enamel structure, prism patterns, prismless enamel. The species used in this investigation are listed here: Physeter catodon Sperm whale (Physeteridae), ·' Address for correspondence: Berardms bairdi Baird's Beaked whale (Ziphiidae), Mikio Ishiyama, Department of Oral Anatomy, Mono don monoceros Narwhal ( Monodontidae), Nippon Dental University, Delphinapterus leucus White whale (Monodontidae), 1-8 Hamaura-cho, Stenella frontallis Bridled Dolphin (Delphinidae), Niigata 951, Japan Globicephala macrorhyncha Pilot whale (Delphinidae), Phone No. 025(267)1500 Lagenorhynchus acutus Atlantic White Sided Dolphin 1071 M. Ishiyama (Delphinidae), Pontoporia blainvillei La Plata River maxilla, and they are usually unerupted. Although Dolphin (Platanistidae), Phocoena phocoena Common the tip of the mandibular tooth exhibits conspicuous Porpoise (Phocaenidae), Neophocaena phocaenoides abrasion and exposure of the dentin , the maxillary Finless Black Porpoise (Phocaemdae), Phocoenoides teeth reveal scarcely any evidence of abrasion dalli Dall's Porpoise (Phocaenidae) because they are embedded. -- Materials were dry teeth kindly provided by the Observation of the surface of a longitudinal Far Seas Fisheries Research Laboratory, Japan ground section of the maxillary tooth tip by means ( Physeter, Berardius, Stenella and Pontoporia); of SEM discloses the enamel between the dentin and National Science Museum, Japan (Globicephala, coronal cementum (Fig. 5). The enamel is Phocoena and Phocoenoides); Department of approximately 200 µm in thickness but varies Anatomy, Nippon Dental University, Niigata, Japan considerably from one tooth to another. The enamel (Neophocaena) and Arctic Biological Station, Canada is localized at the tooth tip and never noted more ( Monodon, Delphinapterus and Lagenorhynclrus). than 3 mm from the tip. Observation of the enamel Most of the teeth were ground m a longitudi­ at a high magnification demonstrates the presence of nal, cross or tangential plane and then etched with incremental lines at intervals of 3 to 4 µ m in the 1 / 10 N HCl for 15 to 45 sec., dried, coated, and enamel and further the presence of several finer examined with a Hitachi, S-500 scanning electron incremental lines among them (Fig. 6). The enamel microscope. In some species, 70 to 80 µm thick is prismless, and the crystals radiate perpendicular to ground sections were prepared and examined by the dentinal surface. Careful observation shows that polarizing microscopy (Olympus, BHS-P). Contact there is a definite pattern in the arrangement microradiographs of these sections were made on condition of these crystals observed between crossed Kodak Spectrographic Plates 649-0 (8 minutes, using polars. When the ground section is observed, the CuKa radiation generated at 24 kV and 40 mA). structure appears as pseudo-prismatic (Fig. 7). Berardius bairdi Results This species lac ks teeth in the maxilla but has two-paired teeth on each side in the anterior portion Monodon monoceros and Delphinapterus leucus of the mandible. The teeth show a triangular These 2 species belong to the Monodontidae, pyramidal shape compressed and flattened labio­ and distributed in the Arctic seas. Although many lingually: the front teeth are 8 to 10 cm in length, morphological similar points categorize the two into while the rear ones are 4 to 5 cm. the same family, the forms of their teeth are quite Polarizing microscopic observation of the ground different. Monodon usually has two teeth in the sections shows that the tooth tip consists of dentin maxilla. Of them, the male's teeth on the right side and cementum. Although the cementum covers up to and female's teeth do not develop in the form of the near the dental tip, it does not completely cover it, tusk, but remain unerupted. Delphinapterus teeth are and the dentin seems to be exposed for conical, 8 to 10 being found in each side of both the approximately 6 to 8 mm at the tip. However more maxilla and mandible. careful observations reveal the presence of a thin For Monodon, the unerupted right teeth of layer that shows strong "negative birefringence" on males were used. The tooth is approximately 20 cm the outside of apparently exposed dentine (Fig. 8). in length showing a slender bar-like form. Ampu­ When the observation is gradually extended down the tating 1 cm or so at the tip and observing the teeth , the thin layer is also found between the ground surface by SEM revealed that a major portion dentin and cementum (Fig. 9), up to 1 cm from the of the tooth consists of dentin, and cementum covers tip . Microradiography proves that this thin layer has it completely up to the tip without enamel (Fig. 1). a low degree of X-ray penetration and is obviously Many Howship's lacunae-like configurations are the enamel (Fig. 10). SEM shows that the enamel is present on the surface of the dentin; there is an very thin, at 3 to 5 µm, and consists of fine crystal incomplete, very narrow gap between the dentin and groups arranged perpendicular to the dentinal surface cementum, leading to an incomplete contact between (Fig. 11) . Stenella frontalis, Globicephala them (Fig. 2). The cementum covering the tip is macrorhyncha and Lagenorhynchus acutus. divided into 2 layers, the inner layer of which is These species belong to Delphimdae and have in compact acellular cementum and the outer one of common the large number of teeth of the same shape which is cellular cementum. The cellular cementum and size in both jaws. The appearance of the tooth has many cavities that blood vessels presumably is sharply conical at the tip with a lingually curved entered.
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