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I don't think an extra molar at age 16 is going to let you survive after all your other teeth have fallen out. I would guess the wisdom teeth are either waiting
by Noumenon72 5y ago
I don't think an extra molar at age 16 is going to let you survive after all your other teeth have fallen out. I would guess the wisdom teeth are either waiting for your jaw to mature or are in the process of devolving to never erupt at all.
- devmor 5y agoThat's not really how evolution works. There's no reason that modern humans would ever lose wisdom teeth unless NOT having them led to some evident increase in ability to produce healthy children in abundance. With the advent of dental care, that seems unlikely to ever happen by evolution.
- Noumenon72 5y agoThe process of devolving to never erupt at all would have started long before modern dental care, driven by impaction complications or pressure to appear neotenous with a small jaw. I agree it won't continue.