Chickens who can chew their food;
Around 300 million years ago, the ancestor of all modern vertebrates gave rise to two lineages, the mammals and the reptiles/birds. The oldest reptiles, such as crocodiles and alligators, had cone-shaped teeth. So did the earliest birds, called archosaurs.
Then, around 80 million years ago, modern birds emerged without teeth.
[…]
The archosaurs had mouths similar in shape to a reptile’s. It turns out that developing a beak caused birds to lose their teeth.
“The reason that birds lost their teeth is that in forming a beak, the two tissues that �talk’ to each other to make a tooth become separated,” Fallon said. “They can’t have the conversation to make a tooth. In the mutant, these tissues are brought back together.”
[…]
By making a few changes to the expression of certain molecules in the pathway, the researchers were able to induce tooth growth in normal developing chickens. These teeth also looked like reptilian teeth and shared many of the same genetic traits, supporting the scientists’ hypothesis. None of these chickens were allowed to hatch.
The research is being touted as having a possible application in “re-growing teeth in people who have lost them through accident or disease.”
Hopefully, no wakes up one morning with a beak.
Via Drudge
One of our local dentists here in White Rock is involved with the College of Dentistry (if that’s the correct name) at UBC who are conducting research into the “re-growing of teeth.” I don’t know a lot about this other than that. Perhaps some of your more enlightened commentators can add some info.
Keep up the great work. Never dull, for sure.
Did a chicken have lips?
So, what other clues do we have to the origin of progressives/dippers/democrats?
Cheers
JMH
Nothing succeeds like a budgie without teeth.
Shades of Larry Niven’s protectors.
Giving up ones pecker for teeth seems a bit of an unfair trade if you ask me.
Fred- Give them another 30-40 years and we’ll probably be able to build our own protectors to spec. They’ll have to come with labels like the ones you get on cigarettes:
Warning!
This lifeform may benevolently dominate your species. Please use with extreme caution.
I guess this gives new meaning to that old saying “as rare as hen’s teeth”!
Will the expression “as scarce as hens teeth” have to be replaced with “as rare as moose eggs”? Think of the ramifications!
Squaaaaack…that’s all right now…
Why not look at sharks, they can regrow their teeth, or gekko’s with tail replacements, well at least how they do it.
here boy…
There maybe a small segment of the population who will actually look forward to waking up one morning to discover they’ve grown a beak:
http://www.awfulplasticsurgery.com/archives/000351.html
http://www.religion-portal.com/Enjoyment/Tatoos_N_Piercings.jpg
As a Dental Technician,I have heard about the research into tooth regeneration.It would seem to be a breakthrough in dentistry but you have to consider the applications.
The new tooth would have to be pregrown in a lab and then inserted into your mouth by the dentist or oral surgeon.
Presently ,artificial teeth are fabricated by dental technicians .These crowns are then inserted by the dentist onto the prepared stump or implanted with a titanium or ziconium abutment.
Growing a new tooth would take too long for most people,especially when they can have one made in 2 weeks.
rob- Have you considered moving to the United Kingdom? There are several million people over here in desperate need of your services.
Rob, Do they grow these new teeth in a beak-er?
What ?
I must have been sleeping !
When did the world get that old ?
Noooo…not the old earth syndrome !
Let me see…how old was Adam when God created him ?
Did he have a navel ?
Now we know that God has a sense of humour for he created you and me .
So maybe His idea of a joke is to create an old earth [ out of nothing ] and then let us fool around guessing ..1 million , 2 billion ?
So did man exist with the dinosaurs ?
Give me the young earth anytime …with a Grand Designer who still is in control .
Ask Preston Manning .
blessings from Virgil ON
I do know one thing….I came into this world with no teeth (and shitin’ my diapers)…and guess how we are ALL goin’ out…..?? !!
We just gotta enjoy ALL the times in between…
Our time on SDA is part of the good times…agree??
Garry P “I do know one thing….I came into this world with no teeth (and shitin’ my diapers)…and guess how we are ALL goin’ out…..?? !!”
Speak for yourself. I’m hoping to live to two hundred, zip around the solar system using fusion propulsion in an uber body.
And I’m a lefty so obviously I want someone else to pay for it.
Jose:…go for it!!! but at least one of the two is true…after your 200 yrs of extended travel…all things will stop eventually! (of course, not wishing you an early departure….that would Depend(s) !!
2 “R’s”…thanx
That guy sounds like a quack.
New at KFC
Now introducing genetically reconstructed dino-chickens…
Larger wings…
Bigger drumsticks…
Meatier thighs…
and…
All the breast meat you can eat!
Daniel
*Squawk!*
The United Kingdom,I believe,has had a public dental care system up until recently.This could be one reason for such poor oral health(long waiting lines? there.I think they have a public private system now .
Canada has an excellent reputation in dentistry along with other countries that allow private practices.There are no waitng lists or shortages of dentists.Canadian patients recieve the finest dental care in the world.We have choices.Choices promote better service.2 tier works well,in dentistry.
You know that’s really going to boost the ratings of the cock fights in Tiajuana.
Teeth on Ostrichs…. now that would be Gnarlly!!!
Chickens chewing their food with “teeth”…nothing in evolution/devolution surprises me…after all Liberals have been talking through their anus for generations.
Genetics demonstrating evolutionary mechanisms?….NOOOOOOOOO! What will Anti-Evolutionists do? Oh yeah, stick their toothy beaks in the sand.
do these boney protuberances really qualify as teeth?
Like Russian roulette. Re-grow a molar. Risk gaining a beak. Enjoy your dentist*s reaction during beak extraction. TG
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