logo
Teeth hurt? It could be because of a 500-million-year-old fish

Teeth hurt? It could be because of a 500-million-year-old fish

Malay Mail22-05-2025

PARIS, May 22 — Ever wondered why our teeth are so sensitive to pain or even just cold drinks? It might be because they first evolved for a very different purpose than chewing half a billion years ago, a study suggested yesterday.
The exact origin of teeth — and what they were for — has long proved elusive to scientists.
Their evolutionary precursors are thought to be hard structures called odontodes which first appeared not in mouths but on the external armour of the earliest fish around 500 million years ago.
Even today, sharks, stingrays and catfish are covered in microscopic teeth that make their skin rough like sandpaper.
There are several theories for why these odontodes first appeared, including that they protected against predators, helped with movement through the water or stored minerals.
But the new study published in the journal Nature supports the hypothesis that they were originally used as sensory organs which transmitted sensations to nerves.
At first, the study's lead author Yara Haridy was not even trying to hunt down the origins of teeth.
Instead the postdoctoral researcher at the University of Chicago was probing another major question puzzling the field of palaeontology: what is the oldest fossil of an animal with a backbone?
Haridy asked museums across the United States to send her hundreds of vertebrate specimens — some so small they could fit on the tip of a toothpick — so she could analyse them using a CT scanner.
She began focusing on dentine, the inner layer of teeth that sends sensory information to nerves in the pulp.
Things get fishy
A fossil from the Cambrian period called Anatolepis seemed to be the answer she was looking for. Its exoskeleton has pores underneath the odontodes called tubules that could indicate they once contained dentine.
This has previously led palaeontologists to believe that Anatolepis was the first known fish in history.
But when Haridy compared it to the other specimens she had scanned, she found that the tubules looked much more like sensory organs called sensilla of arthropods, a group of animals that includes crustaceans and insects.
The mighty Anatolepis was therefore demoted to the rank of an invertebrate.
For modern arthropods such as crabs, scorpions and spiders, sensilla are used to perceive temperature, vibration and even smell.
How little these features have changed over time suggests they have been serving these same functions for half a billion years.
The researchers said they found 'striking' similarities between these features in Anatolepis and vertebrate fish from around 465 million years ago — as well as some better-known fish.
'We performed experiments on modern fish that confirmed the presence of nerves in the outside teeth of catfish, sharks and skates,' Haridy told AFP.
This shows that 'tooth tissues of odontodes outside the mouth can be sensitive — and perhaps the very first odontodes were as well,' she added.
'Arthropods and early vertebrates independently evolved similar sensory solutions to the same biological and ecological problem.'
Senior study author Neil Shubin, also from the University of Chicago, said that these primitive animals evolved in 'a pretty intense predatory environment'.
'Being able to sense the properties of the water around them would have been very important,' Shubin said in a statement.
Haridy explained that over time, fish evolved jaws and 'it became advantageous to have pointy structures' near their mouth.
'Little by little some fish with jaws had pointy odontodes at the edge of the mouth and then eventually some were directly in the mouth,' she said.
'A toothache is actually an ancient sensory feature that may have helped our fishy ancestors survive!' — AFP

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

PolyU startups showcase innovation and entrepreneurial achievements at London Tech Week 2025
PolyU startups showcase innovation and entrepreneurial achievements at London Tech Week 2025

Malay Mail

time13 hours ago

  • Malay Mail

PolyU startups showcase innovation and entrepreneurial achievements at London Tech Week 2025

PolyU participated in the world-renowned London Tech Week 2025 held from 9 to 11 June in London, UK. Group photo of Prof. Christopher Chao, PolyU Vice President (Research and Innovation) (front row, 5th from right), PolyU delegation and Ms Daisy IP, Head of Investment Promotion of InvestHK London (front row, 2nd from right). PolyU Startup Founder(s) Introduction Advantage Data Vision Limited Prof. Lawrence Wing Chi CHAN Associate Professor, Department of Health Technology and Informatics; and Director, Advantage Data Vision Limited The startup has leveraged massive real‑world, multi‑omics datasets and patented AI algorithms to create a cloud‑based platform that accurately predicts patients' response to cancer immunotherapy. The deep‑learning engine guides clinicians, optimises hospital resources, reduces adverse events and accelerates pharmaceutical trials through precise patient stratification and risk assessment, delivering tangible value worldwide. Light-weight Technologies Limited Prof. Jianguo LIN Chair Professor of Materials Technologies, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering; and Co-founder and Chairman, Light-weight Technologies Limited Dr Qingsong WENG Research Associate, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering; and Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Light-weight Technologies Limited The startup uses their globally unique light alloy manufacturing technologies, such as advanced hot stamping and extrusion techniques, with its self-developed smart industrial software and advanced simulation platform to produce ultra-thin, ultra-wide light alloy profiles and complex curved profiles that are unattainable with existing manufacturing processes. The startup provides high-strength, lightweight, cost-effective, and sustainable solutions that enable energy saving and emission reduction for the automotive, aerospace, railway, marine, and other engineering sectors, gaining wide recognition from leading global OEMs. UbiquiTech Innovations Limited Prof. Jiannong CAO Dean, Graduate School; Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Professor in Data Science; Chair Professor of Distributed and Mobile Computing; Director, Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Things; Director, University Research Facility in Big Data Analytics; and Co-founder and Chief Scientist, UbiquiTech Innovations Limited Dr Zhixuan LIANG PolyU GBA Postdoctoral Fellow; and Chief Executive Officer, UbiquiTech Innovations Limited The startup is committed to the intersection of robotics, AI and smart city solutions, with a view to developing cutting-edge autonomous robots designed to address complex challenges in modern urban and industrial environments. viAct Mr Gary Chun-kui NG Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, viAct Mr Hugo CHEUK Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, viAct viAct is a pioneer in AI monitoring technology dedicated to enhancing safety and efficiency in heavy industries such as construction, oil and gas, and manufacturing. The startup made it onto Forbes Asia 100 to Watch list in 2022. Its leading, globally deployed technology "Scenario-based Vision Intelligence", was showcased at renowned international events such as the World Economic Forum. HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 12 June 2025 - The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) took part in the world-renowned London Tech Week 2025 held from 9 to 11 June in London, UK, as the only participating university from Hong Kong. Four PolyU startups showcased their ground-breaking innovations in artificial intelligence (AI), advanced manufacturing technologies and healthcare solutions. The event attracted business leaders, industry experts and investors from around the world, providing the PolyU startups with valuable opportunities to explore potential collaborations and establish is committed to translating cutting-edge research into impactful solutions that address real-world challenges. Below are introductions to the four PolyU the event's panel discussion themed "Creating the Future from Campus: Why are University Spinouts so Important for Innovation?",, shared his insights into knowledge transfer, the nurturing of university spinouts, and the support and resources available to PolyU startups. Prof. Chao remarked, "Supported by PolyU's signature startup ecosystem,, our startups are spearheading translational innovations that generate long-lasting global societal impact. Our ecosystem not only provides invaluable development opportunities but also fosters the international growth of our entrepreneurs. I am delighted to see PolyU startups shine at London Tech Week, inspiring global audiences with their creativity and determination to make a difference."This year, the London Tech Week attracted over 45,000 participants from more than 90 countries, including startups, technology giants, investors and innovators. The event provided a platform for startups to engage in person with venture capitalists, corporate investors and angel investors; promote their solutions on dedicated stages; connect with industry leaders at the forefront of innovation; and gain valuable insights from successful entrepreneurs who have expanded globally. For more information, please visit the event website Hashtag: #PolyU The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Mongolia's 'Dragon Prince' dinosaur was forerunner of T. rex
Mongolia's 'Dragon Prince' dinosaur was forerunner of T. rex

The Star

time19 hours ago

  • The Star

Mongolia's 'Dragon Prince' dinosaur was forerunner of T. rex

This handout artist's illustration made available by University of Calgary on June 6, 2025, shows the newly discovered dinosaur species Khankhuuluu mongoliensis, an ancestor of Tyrannosaurus Rex. - AFP WASHINGTON: A newly identified mid-sized dinosaur from Mongolia dubbed the "Dragon Prince" has been identified as a pivotal forerunner of Tyrannosaurus rex in an illuminating discovery that has helped clarify the famous predator's complicated family history. Named Khankhuuluu mongoliensis, it lived roughly 86 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period and was an immediate precursor to the dinosaur lineage called tyrannosaurs, which included some of the largest meat-eating land animals in Earth's history, among them T. rex. Khankhuuluu predated Tyrannosaurus by about 20 million years. It was about 4 metres long, weighed about 750 kg, walked on two legs and had a lengthy snout with a mouthful of sharp teeth. More lightly built than T. rex, its body proportions indicate Khankhuuluu was fleet-footed, likely chasing down smaller prey such as bird-like dinosaurs called oviraptorosaurs and ornithomimosaurs. The largest-known T. rex specimen is 12.3 metres. Khankhuuluu means "Dragon Prince" in the Mongolian language. Tyrannosaurus rex means "tyrant king of the lizards." "In the name, we wanted to capture that Khankhuuluu was a small, early form that had not evolved into a king. It was still a prince," said paleontologist Darla Zelenitsky of the University of Calgary in Canada, co-author of the study published on Wednesday in the journal Nature. Tyrannosaurs and all other meat-eating dinosaurs are part of a group called theropods. Tyrannosaurs appeared late in the age of dinosaurs, roaming Asia and North America. Khankhuuluu shared many anatomical traits with tyrannosaurs but lacked certain defining characteristics, showing it was a predecessor and not a true member of the lineage. "Khankhuuluu was almost a tyrannosaur, but not quite. For example, the bone along the top of the snout and the bones around the eye are somewhat different from what we see in tyrannosaurs. The snout bone was hollow and the bones around the eye didn't have all the horns and bumps seen in tyrannosaurs," Zelenitsky said. "Khankhuuluu had teeth like steak knives, with serrations along both the front and back edges. Large tyrannosaurs had conical teeth and massive jaws that allowed them to bite with extreme force then hold in order to subdue very large prey. Khankhuuluu's more slender teeth and jaws show this animal took slashing bites to take down smaller prey," Zelenitsky added. The researchers figured out its anatomy based on fossils of two Khankhuuluu individuals dug up in the 1970s but only now fully studied. These included parts of its skull, arms, legs, tail and back bones. The Khankhuuluu remains, more complete than fossils of other known tyrannosaur forerunners, helped the researchers untangle this lineage's evolutionary history. They concluded that Khankhuuluu was the link between smaller forerunners of tyrannosaurs and later true tyrannosaurs, a transitional animal that reveals how these meat-eaters evolved from speedy and modestly sized species into giant apex predators. "What started as the discovery of a new species ended up with us rewriting the family history of tyrannosaurs," said University of Calgary doctoral student and study lead author Jared Voris. "Before this, there was a lot of confusion about who was related to who when it came to tyrannosaur species." Some scientists had hypothesized that smaller tyrannosaurs like China's Qianzhousaurus - dubbed "Pinnochio-rexes" because of their characteristic long snouts - reflected the lineage's ancestral form. That notion was contradicted by the fact that tyrannosaur forerunner Khankhuuluu differed from them in important ways. "The tyrannosaur family didn't follow a straightforward path where they evolved from small size in early species to larger and larger sizes in later species," Zelenitsky said. Voris noted that Khankhuuluu demonstrates that the ancestors to the tyrannosaurs lived in Asia. "Around 85 million years ago, these tyrannosaur ancestors crossed a land bridge connecting Siberia and Alaska and evolved in North America into the apex predatory tyrannosaurs," Voris said. One line of North American tyrannosaurs later trekked back to Asia and split into two branches - the "Pinnochio-rexes" and massive forms like Tarbosaurus, the researchers said. These apex predators then spread back to North America, they said, paving the way for the appearance of T. rex. Tyrannosaurus ruled western North America at the end of the age of dinosaurs when an asteroid struck Earth 66 million years ago. "Khankhuuluu was where it all started but it was still only a distant ancestor of T. rex, at nearly 20 million years older," Zelenitsky said. "Over a dozen tyrannosaur species evolved in the time between them. It was a great-great-great uncle, sort of." - Reuters

The costs of smoking go far beyond your health
The costs of smoking go far beyond your health

Free Malaysia Today

time20 hours ago

  • Free Malaysia Today

The costs of smoking go far beyond your health

More than eight million people die each year from smoking, according to the World Health Organization. (Pixabay pic) PARIS : Twenty minutes. That's how much time a single cigarette steals from our lives, according to researchers at University College London. But this statistic, dramatic as it may be, only tells part of the story: smoking also jeopardises your professional and financial future, especially when you are just starting out in your career. A Finnish research team has investigated this little explored aspect of smoking. By analysing data from 3,596 participants monitored for nearly 20 years, these scientists have discovered a worrying phenomenon: each additional 'pack-year' – the equivalent of one pack smoked daily for one year – reduces income by 1.8%. This means reducing consumption by five pack-years could increase income by 9%. This calculation is all the more impactful when you consider that a regular smoker can easily accumulate several dozen pack-years over the course of their life. But the impact doesn't stop there – researchers also observed that each additional pack-year reduced time spent in employment by 0.5%. This is a double blow for heavy smokers, who suffer both a drop in income and greater job insecurity. Published in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research, this study reveals a substantial wage gap between smokers and non-smokers, especially among young workers with lower levels of education – a reality that raises questions about social inequalities in relation to smoking and its consequences. But why does this difference diminish with age? Researchers put forward an intriguing hypothesis: the growing negative stigma surrounding tobacco use among younger generations. Smoking is increasingly becoming a negative social marker, particularly detrimental at the start of a career. Despite a downward trend in global consumption, figures from the World Health Organization remain alarming. More than eight million people die each year from smoking, including 1.3 million non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke. Fortunately, all is not lost, as the study provides some reassuring information: former smokers can avoid these economic losses. Unlike those who continue to smoke into later adulthood, they regain financial prospects equivalent to those of non-smokers. This proves, if proof were needed, that it is never too late to quit, and that the benefits of quitting smoking go far beyond health, extending into the economic and professional spheres.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store