Hinged Teeth in Snakes: An Adaptation for Swallowing Hard-Bodied Prey
- 17 April 1981
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 212 (4492) , 346-349
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.212.4492.346
Abstract
Six genera of snakes, representing at least three lineages, possess teeth that fold backward against the jaws rather than being firmly ankylosed. This condition, effected by a connective tissue hinge at the base of each tooth, is associated with suites of cephalic modifications that enable the snakes to grasp and to swallow hard-bodied prey.This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit:
- The development and replacement of teeth in viviparous caeciliansJournal of Morphology, 1976
- The teeth of amphibia and their relation to amphibian phylogenyJournal of Morphology, 1962