Unlike other mammalian species, the study of dugong teeth is not well-established. The dugong possesses a pair of tusks, formed by the first upper incisor teeth in both males and females, that are used as cutting instruments for foraging3.
Do dugongs have permanent teeth?
Unlike in manatees, the dugong's teeth do not continually grow back via horizontal tooth replacement. The dugong has two incisors (tusks) which emerge in males during puberty. The female's tusks continue to grow without emerging during puberty, sometimes erupting later in life after reaching the base of the premaxilla.
Does a sea cow have teeth?
Sea cows lacked teeth but instead had rough plates between their jaws. Some individuals had small nasals. The rostrum was large and narrow as in dugongs, but only slightly bent downward. Dugongs are bottom-feeders, grazers on a number of species of aquatic plants.
