Origin of Sensitive Teeth
New research from a team led by Yara Haridy and Neil Shubin at the University of Chicago reveals that dentine—the sensitive inner layer of our teeth—first evolved not for chewing, but for sensing the environment in ancient armored fish.
Using ultra-high-resolution CT scans, researchers showed that tooth-like structures in a 465-million-year-old vertebrate fossil were part of a sensory system embedded in the animal’s armor.
In the process, they also corrected a major fossil misidentification: a Cambrian-era specimen once thought to be the earliest known vertebrate was revealed to be an invertebrate arthropod instead. The findings reshape our understanding of how teeth evolved and highlight a surprising sensory connection between early vertebrates and modern creatures like crabs and shrimp.
About me
I'm Yara Haridy — a paleontologist and evolutionary biologist fascinated by the deep-time history of bones! My research explores how mineralized tissues like bone and teeth evolved in vertebrates, using cutting-edge imaging tools to peer inside fossils and uncover stories of ancient growth, healing, and disease.
I'm currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Shubin Lab at the University of Chicago, where I work at the intersection of modern biology and deep evolutionary history. I’m also passionate about science communication and equity in research, and I love finding creative ways to make science accessible, weird, and wonderful for everyone.
The University of Chicago
Evolution & Development
in Deep Time
