Selenodont
title: "Selenodont" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["types-of-teeth"] topic_path: "general/types-of-teeth" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenodont" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
Selenodont teeth are the type of molars and premolars commonly found in ruminant herbivores. They are characterized by low crowns, and crescent-shaped cusps when viewed from above (crown view).
The term comes from the Ancient Greek roots (, 'moon' or 'moonlike'), and , (, 'tooth'). They differ from human molars in that the occlusal surface is not covered in enamel; rather, the layers of enamel, dentine, and cementum are all exposed, with cementum in the middle, surrounded by a layer of enamel, then a layer of dentine, all wrapped in a second outer layer of enamel.
Viewed from the side, selenodont teeth form a series of triangular cusps. The combination of triangular profiles with ridges formed by the exposed layers makes the lateral chewing motion of ruminants an effective way to break-up tough vegetable matter.
References
References
- Dorit, Robert L.. (1991). "Zoology". Saunders College Publishing.
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