Journal of Dental Research, Vol 72, 912-922, Copyright © 1993 by International & American Associations for Dental Research Online Journals
Fluoride and iron concentrations in the enameloid of lower teleostean fish
S. Suga, Y. Taki and M. Ogawa
Department of Pathology, Nippon Dental University, School of Dentistry, Tokyo, Japan.
Our quantitative elemental analyses with the electron microprobe indicated
that the fluoride and iron concentrations in the enameloid of bony fish are
related to the phylogeny of fish. The enameloid of some bony fish with high
F also contained high Fe. In order to clarify the phylogenetic significance
of such a peculiar dual deposition of F and Fe into developing enameloid,
quantitative electron microprobe analyses of these elements were made on
the teeth of taxonomically lower teleosts. There were significantly
different trends of F and Fe concentrations in the enameloid among various
forms of lower teleosts. In the Osteoglossiformes, the enameloid of the
osteoglossid species contained very low levels of F and Fe, whereas in the
single representative of the Mormyroidei, the F was very low but Fe was
very high. In the Elopomorpha, the enameloid of the elopiform species
contained a medium level of F and high Fe, and that of the anguilliform
high levels of F and Fe. In the Salmoiformes, the salmonid species had
medium F and high Fe, and in a species of the Esocidae, high F and high Fe
levels were found. The stomiiform fish exhibited levels of medium and high
F and high Fe. The results of the present study and our previous
investigations made on archaic non-teleostean and various teleostean fish
indicate that the mechanisms of F and Fe concentrations into developing
enameloid are independent of each other, and that the mechanisms of Fe
concentration appeared earlier and disappeared later than, or concurrently
with, that of the F concentration, in the course of fish evolution.
