Thecodontism

Thecodontism is a controversial theory about the evolutionary origin of teeth that was proposed by the German scientist Friedrich von Hopper in 1879. Although this theory has not yet been clearly confirmed, it has become the subject of heated debate and confusion among scientists as well as public opinion.

The thecodont theory states that teeth arose from the developing jaws through a specific developmental process in which input from parents or evolutionary ancestors was minimal. According to this theory, teeth were formed as a result of individual processes of cellular differentiation and gene conversion that control tooth development, without influence from other organs. This process has been compared to the development of plants, where the DNA molecule determines the formation of leaves, flowers and roots.

In his work The Origin of Teeth, von Hopper argued that primitive animals such as the lancelet may have teeth, but they are never used for chewing. He also noted that no animal had previously been found to have teeth composed of well-developed tissues and precisely shaped for mechanical function. Based on this, von Hopper concluded that teeth are not a function of the maxillodental apparatus, but a genetically determined structure that appears in the process of evolution as a new organ. Thus, the thecodontic theory can be characterized as denominationalist.

Despite the fact that thecodontist ideas have been met with criticism and have caused debate in scientific circles, some scientists support this theory. For example