lophodont tooth

animal anatomy

Also known as: lophodont teeth

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June 30, 2026

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The term "lophodont" describes a type of tooth found in some mammals, particularly herbivores. It refers to cheek teeth where the cusps have fused into ridges, or "lophs". This specialization is an adaptation for grazing, providing a more effective grinding surface compared to the low, rounded cusps of bunodont teeth.12

In lower molars, lophodont teeth typically have two transverse ridges. Upper molars have these ridges fused with an outer longitudinal ridge. Further complexity can lead to convoluted arrangements, known as selenolophodont teeth. This dental structure is characteristic of animals like horses, which have highly specialized, high-crowned lophodont teeth. The term "lophiodont" can also refer to an extinct genus of animals.13

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perissodactyl
Teeth
…of this kind are called lophodont. Lower molars typically have two transverse lophs, the protoloph and the metaloph. In the upper molars these ridges are fused with a longitudinal ridge (ectoloph), which runs along the outer edge of the tooth. Further development leads to a convoluted arrangement of the lophs,…
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…of this kind are called lophodont. Lower molars typically have two transverse lophs, the protoloph and the metaloph. In the upper molars these ridges are fused with a longitudinal ridge (ectoloph), which runs along the outer edge of the tooth. Further development leads to a convoluted arrangement of the lophs,…
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