BITE: AN INCISIVE HISTORY OF TEETH, FROM HAGFISH TO HUMANS

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From three-inch fang blennies to thirty-foot prehistoric crocodiles, from gaboon vipers to Neanderthals,Biteis a fascinating journey through the natural, scientific, and cultural history of something right in front ofor inour faces: teeth.

InBite, zoologist Bill Schutt makes a surprising case: it is teeth that are responsible for the long-term success of vertebrates. The appearance of teeth, roughly half a billion years ago, was an adaptation that allowed animals with backbones, such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, dinosaurs and mammalsincluding usto chow down in pretty much every conceivable environment.

And its not just food. Tusks and fangs have played crucial roles as defensive weaponsglimpsing the upper canines of snarling dogs is all it takes to know that teeth are an efficient means of aggression. Vampire bats use their razor-sharp teeth to obtain a widespread but generally untappable resource: blood. Early humans employed their teeth as tools to soften tough fibers and animal hides. Our teeth project information and social statusthe ancient Etruscans were the first to wear tooth bling, and its doubtful that George Washington would have been elected president without the false teeth he wore.

So much of what we know about life on this planet has come from the study of fossilized teeth, which have provided information not only about evolution but also about famine, war, and disease. In his signature witty style, the author ofPumpandCannibalismshows us how our continued understanding of teeth may help us humans through current and future crises, from Alzheimers disease to mental health issues.Biteis popular science at its best and will appeal to readers of Mary Roach, Merlin Sheldrake, and Ed Yong.

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