Fish Dentitions as Paradigms for Odontogenic Questions

Bony fish, and in particular teleosts, represent a morphologically extremely diverse group of vertebrates, well suited to study certain problems in odontogenesis. In this article we address some questions that can benefit much from the use of fish dentitions as paradigms, such as endodermal participation in tooth formation and epithelial primacy in initiation events. Next, we highlight some results recently obtained in our laboratory with respect to two models, the zebrafish (Cyprinidae), and selected species of cichlids (Cichlidae). Finally, we pinpoint some questions that lend themselves admirably to be examined using fish models, such as the factors that control renewed initiation of teeth, and the relationship (or absence thereof) between Hox genes and tooth formation.