Study of a Mammoth Tooth Using CT

HomeRadiologyVol. 311, No. 2 PreviousNext Reviews and CommentaryFree AccessImages in RadiologyStudy of a Mammoth Tooth Using CTIgor Eduardovich Pamirsky , Kirill Sergeevich GolokhvastIgor Eduardovich Pamirsky , Kirill Sergeevich GolokhvastAuthor AffiliationsFrom the Siberian Federal Research Centre of Agro-BioTechnologies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, st. Centralnaya 2b, p. Krasnoobsk, Novosibirsk, Russia 630501.Address correspondence to I.E.P. (email: [email protected]).Igor Eduardovich Pamirsky Kirill Sergeevich GolokhvastPublished Online:May 7 2024https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.232402MoreSectionsPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesCiteTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareShare onFacebookXLinked In For the first time, to our knowledge, the tooth of an adult woolly mammoth, Mammuthus primigenius, was studied using CT. Previously, there have been CT studies of a tusk (1) and the teeth of two newborn mammoths (2). It is known that during their lives mammoths could have six sets of four teeth.The right lower molar (presumably m2, which designates a lower molar of the second set of teeth) (Fig 1) was provided from the private collection of L. B. Prokhorenko. The tooth was found in the northeastern part of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in Russia. The tooth had 17 molar plates and the following dimensions: length of the chewing surface, 239 mm; width, 112 mm; and height including the root and crown, 186 mm. The tooth was scanned with a clinical Somatom Definition AS CT scanner (Siemens Healthineers).Figure 1: (A–D) Photographs and (E–H) corresponding three-dimensional CT images of a mammoth tooth in different projections. The denser parts of the tooth are colored blue on the CT images. Attrition is clearly visible on all the molar plates except the distalmost one. (I, J) The location of the examined tooth is outlined in red on diagrams of (I) the skull (side view) and (J) lower jaw (top view).Figure 1:Download as PowerPointIn the three-dimensional CT images (Fig 1E–1H), one can clearly distinguish the plates, enamel, and cementum of the tooth from the pulp chamber, which had numerous caverns and cracks throughout its depth (Fig 2) that would be challenging to assess with direct visualization or conventional radiography. It is likely that these fractures occurred during the process of tissue fossilization in the soil.Figure 2: (A–E) CT images of a mammoth tooth in the frontal plane. Number 1 (in A–C) indicates the outline of the pulp chamber (A) on the medial side, (B) in the middle, and (C) on the distal side of the tooth. Number 2 (in D, E) indicates nonanatomic fractures and cavities on the (D) medial and (E) distal sides of the tooth. There are areas where the pulp chamber is not traceable. This may be a peculiarity of individual tooth anatomy or a consequence of possible obliteration (hypermineralization) of the pulp chamber. Obliteration probably occurred during the animal's lifetime due to prolonged exposure of the tooth to an irritant. (F) Radiograph of the chewing surface of the tooth (the pulp chamber, cracks, and other details are not visible).Figure 2:Download as PowerPointDisclosures of conflicts of interest: I.E.P. No relevant relationships. K.S.G. No relevant relationships.References1. Eppenberger P, Huber R, Reinhard J, Rühli F, Kubik-Huch RA, Niemann T. CT-based age estimation of a mammoth tusk. Radiology 2022;305(2):297. Link, Google Scholar2. Fisher DC, Shirley EA, Whalen CD, et al. X-ray computed tomography of two mammoth calf mummies. J Paleontol 2014;88(4):664–675. Crossref, Google ScholarArticle HistoryReceived: Sept 16 2023Revision requested: Nov 9 2023Revision received: Nov 23 2023Accepted: Jan 12 2024Published online: May 07 2024 FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsRecommended Articles Pediatric Panoramic Radiography: Techniques, Artifacts, and InterpretationRadioGraphics2021Volume: 41Issue: 2pp. 595-608Normal Variants of the Oral and Maxillofacial Region: Mimics and PitfallsRadioGraphics2022Volume: 42Issue: 2pp. 506-521Dental Emergencies: A Practical GuideRadioGraphics2019Volume: 39Issue: 6pp. 1782-1795Multidetector CT of Mandibular Fractures, Reductions, and Complications: A Clinically Relevant Primer for the RadiologistRadioGraphics2016Volume: 36Issue: 5pp. 1539-1564Practical Approach to Radiopaque Jaw LesionsRadioGraphics2021Volume: 41Issue: 4pp. 1164-1185See More RSNA Education Exhibits Dental Anomalies: What The Radiologist Needs To Know.Digital Posters2021Normal Variants of the Oral and Maxillofacial Region: Mimics to Confuse RadiologistsDigital Posters2020Preoperative Orthognathic Surgery: What Radiologists Should KnowDigital Posters2022 RSNA Case Collection Tillaux FractureRSNA Case Collection2021Supracondylar Avian SpurRSNA Case Collection2021Hoffa's fractureRSNA Case Collection2021 Vol. 311, No. 2 Metrics Altmetric Score PDF download