lophodont
/ˈləʊfə(ʊ)dɒnt
/ /ˈlɒfə(ʊ)dɒnt/adjective Zoology
1(Of molar teeth) having transverse ridges on the grinding surfaces, characteristic of some ungulates.Thus they tend to revert to the trigonid form, but without cusps, so that the work is done by curved ridges: lophodont dentition....
- The morphology of its lophodont molars indicates that Karagalax is a tapiromorph, and it is here included in the primitive family Isectolophidae.
- Lophodont teeth have elongated ridges called lophs that run between cusps.
1.1(Of an ungulate) having lophodont teeth.Bulungamayine kangaroos are thus rival candidates for the role of ancestors of modern, lophodont kangaroos....
- Modern species are lophodont (complexly so in equids), in contrast to artiodactyls, which tend to be selenodont or bunodont.
noun
An animal with lophodont teeth.
Origin
Late 19th century: from lopho- 'crest' + Greek odous, odont- 'tooth'.