Table 1 List of significant features of various dinosaur teeth.

From: Evolution and Function of Dinosaur Teeth at Ultramicrostructural Level Revealed Using Synchrotron Transmission X-ray Microscopy

Clades (museum number)

DP

ES

MD

PES

EC

ETs

ETh (μm)

TMD (μm)

LLES (μm)

Yunnanosaurus (WDV-09-11)

H

32.3 ± 1.2

26.1 ± 0.9

Diplodocus (NTM I06245)

H

106.8 ± 10.0

39.0 ± 1.1

Dilophosaurus (WDV-04-09)

C

104.2 ± 4.0

40.8 ± 1.2

Spinosaurus (NTM I06249)

C

323.6 ± 13.7

46.9 ± 3.5

Carcharodontosaurus (NTM I06247)

C

57.1 ± 2.4

31.2 ± 1.0

Dromaeosaurus (NTM I06250)

C

46.0 ± 1.7

30.7 ± 1.4

Tarbosaurus (NTM I06243)

C

47.4 ± 2.4

26.4 ± 0.7

Tyrannosaurus (NTM I06246)

C

194.4 ± 17.2

52.6 ± 2.0

Edmontosaurus (NTM I06248)

H

164.9 ± 2.0

29 ± 3.7

Shantungosaurus (GMV 1780-1)

H

157.7 ± 2.7

30.3 ± 2.7

Saurolophus (NTM I06242)

H

95.6 ± 1.7

21.4 ± 1.5

Pachycephalosaurus (NTM I06244)

H

82.7 ± 5.4

17.8 ± 1.2

Triceratops (ROM 67669)

H

143 ± 14.7

24.7 ± 1.1

  1. A dinosaur genus may be identified using the features in the list. For example, although Edmontosaurus and Pachycephalosaurus teeth exhibit similar internal features, the enamel thicknesses (ETh) and lengths of LESs (LLES) can still be identified. The errors of the thickness of mantle dentin (TMD) and LLES are 95% confidence intervals determined according to Student’s t-test distribution. Here, DP: dietary preference; C: carnivorous; H: herbivorous; ES: enamel spindle; MD: mantle dentin near dentinoenamel junction; PES: periodic enamel spindle; EC: enamel crack; ET: enamel tuft; WDV: World Dinosaur Valley; NTM: National Taiwan Museum; GMV: Geological Museum of China, Vertebrate; and ROM: Royal Ontario Museum.