New research reveals that human teeth evolved from the sensory organs found on the exoskeletons of ancient fish. Scientists used high-resolution CT scans to analyze fossils from the Cambrian and Ordovician periods, discovering that the mineralized tissue used in these sensory organs is linked to the same genetic toolkit that produces human teeth. This finding suggests that teeth's sensitivity is a legacy of their evolutionary origins as sensory armor in early vertebrates, a discovery published in Nature.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.