What is "heterodont"

Heterodont \Het"er*o*dont\, a. [Hetero- + Gr. ?, ? a tooth.] (Anat.) Having the teeth differentiated into incisors, canines, and molars, as in man; -- opposed to homodont.

Heterodont \Het"er*o*dont\, n. (Zo["o]l.) Any animal with heterodont dentition.

a. (context zoology English) Having teeth of different types (like most mammals) n. 1 (context zoology English) A heterodont animal 2 A North American snake of the genus (taxlink Heterodon genus noshow=1)

In anatomy, a heterodont from Greek, meaning "different teeth") is an animal which possesses more than a single tooth morphology. For example, members of the Synapsida generally possess incisors, canines ("eyeteeth"), premolars, and molars. The presence of heterodont dentition is evidence of some degree of feeding/hunting specialization in a species. In contrast, homodont dentition refers to a set of teeth that possess the same tooth morphology.