Glossary of mammalian dental topography
Open-knowledge reference entry
Many different terms have been proposed for features of the tooth crown in mammals.
The structures within the molars receive different names according to their position and morphology. This nomenclature was developed by Henry Fairfield Osborn in 1907 and is, although with many variations, the one that continues today.
Suffixes
Tooth structures bear suffixes in order to note the type of structure they are and whether they are present in the upper or lower molars.
The suffix "-cones /-conids" (upper molar/lower molar) is added to the main cusps: Paracone, Metacone, Protocone and Hypocone on the upper molar, and Paraconid, Metaconid, Protoconid, Hypoconid and Entoconid on the lower molar. This name is used for both bunodont and selenodont molars, that is, as many for "buno" pillar-like cusps as for "selenes" crescent-like cusps.
The suffix "-conule /-conulid" (upper molar/lower molar) is added to the secondary cusps. For example, Metaconule, Hypoconulid.
The suffix "-style/-stylid" (upper molar/lower molar) is added to the peripheral cusps that are found in the cornices or cingulus of the tooth. These cusps are traditionally named according to their proximity to the main cusps, although some anatomists prefer to name them according to their position on the tooth.
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