Getting to the root of enamel evolution

Thick tooth enamel is one of the features that distinguishes our genus, Homo, from our primate relatives and forebears. A new study offers insight into exactly how evolution shaped our teeth, one gene at a time. By comparing the human genome with those of five other primate species, a team of geneticists and evolutionary anthropologists has identified two segments of DNA where natural selection acted to give modern humans their thick enamel.