True teeth are only found in backboned vertebrates, like fish and mammals. Some invertebrates have tooth-like structures, but the underlying tissues are completely different.

But the new scans she conducted enabled a 3D look at the fossils, revealing their internal anatomy. "This shows us that 'teeth' can also be sensory even when they're not in the mouth," Haridy said.

Nervy human teeth arose from ancient armored fish scales The sometimes uncomfortable sensations we feel in our teeth may be an evolutionary holdover from the scaly exteriors of ancient armored fish.

But the new scans she conducted enabled a 3D look at the fossils, revealing their internal anatomy. “This shows us that ‘teeth’ can also be sensory even when they’re not in the mouth ...

Teeth first evolved as sensory organs, not for chewing, according to a new analysis of animal fossils.The first tooth-like structures seem to have been sensitive nodules on the skin of early fish ...