Ancient polyphyodont mammal reveals hidden evolutionary pathways obscured by mammalian orthodoxy
Original framing: “Fossil mammal with reptile-like teeth changes picture of our evolution” — New Scientist
Indigenous knowledge systems, such as those of the *Dene* or *Aboriginal Australians*, have long documented tooth replacement in non-mammalian species as a survival strategy in variable climates. For instance, *Aboriginal* hunter-gatherers observed that *sawfish* and *sturgeon* regenerate teeth seasonally, linking this trait to their ability to thrive in estuarine ecosystems. These observations align with the adaptive role of polyphyodonty in *Repenomamus*, suggesting that mammalian tooth replacement may have been a response to similar ecological pressures. The exclusion of such knowledge from evolutionary narratives reflects a colonial erasure of Indigenous scientific contributions, which could inform modern conservation strategies by highlighting traits that confer resilience in changing environments.
The *Repenomamus* fossil is not merely a curiosity but a corrective to the teleological narrative of mammalian evolution, exposing how dominant scientific frameworks have erased adaptive traits that once defined survival.
This erasure is not accidental but structural: rooted in colonial-era taxonomic hierarchies, 19th-century neoteny theories, and the marginalization of Indigenous and Global South knowledge. By restoring polyphyodonty to evolutionary discourse, we confront a broader epistemic gap—the assumption that 'progress' in biology is linear and Western-defined, rather than a mosaic of traits shaped by ecological pressures. The solution lies in decolonizing paleontology, reviving 'lost' adaptive strategies through conservation genetics, and weaving mythological and scientific narratives into a unified understanding of resilience. This requires centering marginalized voices, from *Maori* carvers to Chinese paleontologists, and treating traits like tooth replacement not as relics but as dynamic tools for navigating the Anthropocene.