Poems and Thoughts    by Frank Maurer

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Were Our Teeth Always in Our Mouths? As humans evolved, the diet changed from grass and leaves, To the discovery of raw meat, and finally fire and cooking. The once adaptive large teeth have not kept up in their reduction With the evolving smaller jaw-- And thus present-day crowding and molar extractions! But from where did our teeth today evolve? Two thoughts on the subject--odontodes-- Tooth-like structures found in the throat of Hagfish Or the odontode structures on the rough skin of sharks! Which ever finally proves to be correct, Our present-day teeth in our mouths, Certainly were never formally seen In the wonderful smile we see today! Frank Maurer 21 July 2024 1510 Hours.