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Most, if not all, of our biological traits came from evolution and adaptation to survive all the challenges that we have faced over time. Our species, the Homo Sapiens, has existed for approximately 300,000 years. Throughout all the generations, we have evolved, developed new traits, and then passed them on to our offspring. That is how we got to who we are today.
However, due to rapid modernization and improvement of our technology, our bodies have not yet caught up. There are parts that we no longer need, but were vital to our ancestors hundreds of years ago. A good example of this is our wisdom teeth, or the third molars. Scientists agree that they were once necessary, but not anymore. Let’s find out why.
Once a Lifesaver in Tough Diets
Early human beings did not have the technology that we take for granted today, along with all the agricultural practices. Which means that they mainly depended on coarse, pre-agricultural foods such as roots, raw meat, and rough plants.
Those tough diets could have easily destroyed their molar or grinding teeth, so wisdom teeth acted as backup, replacing worn-out molars for teens and adults. Additionally, it was also believed that our ancestors had larger jaws for the same reason. They needed to chew on tougher foods that require them to bite more and harder.
Wisdom teeth provided them with additional teeth for power and an extra chewing surface. During their time, that is what nature dictates will be able to survive, because, of course, if you can’t chew food, you won’t be able to eat it. However, today, we don’t usually eat tough-to-chew food anymore, and over time, our physiology has changed.
Read more: Medicover Genetics
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Modern Jaws Left No Space
As our ancestors honed their agricultural practices, cooking and food processing became the norm. The diets of humans have softened, and over time our jaws have shrunk, mainly because we no longer use or need them anymore.
In modern times, too many people still have third molars, but smaller jaws, which can’t accommodate those extra teeth, so it sometimes causes pain. However, this does not answer the question of why we still have wisdom teeth if we have already evolved to have smaller jaws due to new routines and technological advancements.
Vestigial and Variable by Genetics
The answer to the question of why we still have wisdom teeth is because of evolution and how slow the process is. Wisdom teeth are an example of vestigial structures, meaning they are evolutionary leftovers. Our ancestors needed them to survive, but we don’t; however, the time in between is not enough for it to be removed from our population.
In other words, we could attribute why we still have our wisdom teeth to our fast-paced technological evolution. Compared to all of human history, our ability to cook and process foods to make them softer is actually new. So, just a few thousand years ago, we probably still needed these third molars.
Read more: Wikipedia
Future of Third Molars in Humans
Different populations have already exhibited varying rates of wisdom tooth absence; some completely do not have them, while others still do. That is natural selection at work, and it is clear it favored smaller jaws because of modern diets.
If we continue this route, there is a big possibility that our bodies will catch up to evolve, and our wisdom teeth may soon disappear from the population. However, for today in our generation and likely the next few ones too, we will have to rely on our dentists to remove them if they cause us any pain and to prevent complications
But, it shouldn’t be that far ahead, since some people are already being born without wisdom teeth, and their kids are likely to inherit those traits. An example of ongoing human evolutionary change in action .
Author's Final Thoughts
You should not be mad if you were born with wisdom teeth. Just think of it this way, your ancestors needed those extra teeth for them to survive and eventually for you to exist. That is how evolution works, and understanding it reminds us that it is a continual process, and not just historical.
References & Further Reading
Scheiwiller, M., Oeschger, E. S., & Gkantidis, N. (2020). Third molar agenesis in modern humans with and without agenesis of other teeth. PeerJ. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.10367
Gkantidis, N., Tacchi, M., Oeschger, E. S., Halazonetis, D., & Kanavakis, G. (2021). Third Molar Agenesis Is Associated with Facial Size. Biology. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10070650
Oeschger, E. S., Kanavakis, G., Halazonetis, D., & Gkantidis, N. (2020). Number of teeth is associated with facial size in humans. Scientific Reports. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-58565-8
Bonczek, O., Balcar, V. J., & Padrta, P. (2017). PAX9 gene mutations and tooth agenesis: A review. Clinical Genetics. https://doi.org/10.1111/cge.12986
Fauzi, N. H., Ardini, Y. D., Zainuddin, Z., & Lestari, W. (2018). A review on non-syndromic tooth agenesis associated with PAX9 and MSX1 gene polymorphism. Journal of International Dental and Medical Research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29628999/
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