What is extinct megafauna breast tooth?

The breast tooth is a type of specialized tooth that was present in several extinct megafauna species, including the mammoth, mastodon, and gomphothere. It is also known as a sectorial tooth, grinding tooth, or shovel-shaped tooth.

The breast tooth is named for its unique shape, which is flat and broad with a concave surface on one side and a convex surface on the other. This allows the tooth to slice through food, rather than grinding it down like molars do. The concave side of the tooth faces the tongue, while the convex side faces outward.

Breast teeth were highly specialized for chewing tough, fibrous plant materials, such as grasses and sedges. They were used by herbivorous megafauna to strip vegetation from stems, leaves, and branches.

The evolution of breast teeth is thought to have been a key adaptation for megafauna during the late Miocene and Pliocene epochs, around 5-10 million years ago. This was a time when grasslands began to expand and diversify, and herbivorous mammals had to adapt to this new food source.

Unfortunately, all species that had breast teeth have become extinct, but their fossilized remains and teeth have provided valuable insight into the evolution and adaptations of past megafauna.