The Wisdom of Teeth

Ancient human teeth can tell us a lot. Hidden inside each set are clues about their owner's behavior and ancestry plus hints about what really made up the paleo diet. Shara Bailey, associate professor of anthropology at New York University, reads the topography of teeth to better understand the origins and lineages of humans. You can even test your own teeth to see if you have the same bumps and grooves as your ancestors.

Produced and Narrated by Emily V. Driscoll
Filmed by Jeff Nash

Music by Audio Network
Additional Video by POND5
Images by


©2015 Kaifu et al,Lee Roger Berger research team, Peter Brown, Elsevier
Cicero Moraes (Arc-Team) et alii, Daniele Panetta, CNR Institute Physiology
Margherita Mussi, Patrizia Gioia, Fabio Negrino, Thilo Parg
Rosino, Wellcome Images

Thanks to Cara Biega and James Devitt