Re: Sorry about being off topic...Re: Wisdom Teeth in Fossil Record

[christopher robert noto <crnoto@midway.uchicago.edu>]

Yeah, and if you're like me, then you get to keep them in...'cause you
have a big mouth ;)

But seriously it is a curious condition, how some of us have them and some
not at all.  It's like watching evolution in action...almost.  I know this
is a bit silly, but it's interesting because we seem to be in the middle
of evolving the loss of these teeth.  But this makes me think, if people
just get the troubled teeth pulled out, is there any reason for selection
to act upon individuals with this condition anymore?  I mean will we ever
lose them?

cheers,
Chris

On Thu, 19 Oct 2000 ELurio@aol.com wrote:

> 
> In a message dated 10/19/00 8:57:30 PM, dinosaur@dinosaur.org writes:
> 
> << Consumer's Union  (a not-for-profit consumer information organization that
> publishes Consumer Reports) did a lengthy study on wisdom teeth which 
> concludes,
> basically, that we should leave them alone and not keep yanking them out 
> before
> there are problems with them.  The "yanking" part was basically invented by
> dentists who needed a way to make more money. >>
> 
> That's right, we should yank them out AFTER there are problems with them, 
> like they wind up coming out at a 90 degree angle to the rest of the 
> teeth...The only reason people have wisdom teeth out is because there's 
> trouble.
> 
> eric l.
>