I tend to agree that the teeth are mechanical parts.

A thought only on my part was a water flow when sitting on most
anything or even over the mantle when out moving around.

I think we need a Technical / biology type that knows the snail functions
to be certain.

Are there mantle muscles that press those into place
as the shell begins to grow ?  Those needed for movement and control.

Seems so simple, but with many complex options.
Martin

Ellen Bulger wrote:
> I'm just going on a limb and say the "teeth" are actually ridges. The
> ridges would strengthen that part of the shell. My sense of olives
> versus cowries is that olive shell walls are thicker in relation to
> the overall size of the shell. As the cowrie shells are bigger,
> relative to their overall weight, they benefit from a little
> structural reinforcement around the aperture.
>
> Just a guess.
>
> It seems like the kind of thing that Vermeij would get riffing on.
> Does he have anything published on this?
>
> On Sun, May 10, 2009 at 3:55 PM, Paul Monfils <[log in to unmask]
> <mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
>
>     I received a query about the apertural teeth of cowrie shells –
>     namely, do they have any purpose or function?  I couldn’t find a
>     word on the subject in any of the standard volumes on Cypraeidae
>     (Burgess, Lorenz & Hubert, Liltved, etc.) or in any of several
>     texts on molluscan development, anatomy, ecology, etc.  Does
>     anyone have any information on this?  Are the “teeth” strictly
>     decorative?  Ovulidae seem to get along just fine without them.
>
>

--
Martin H. Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
TSRA, Endowed; NRA LOH & Patron Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot's Medal.
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder
IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member.
http://lufkinced.com/

----------------------------------------------------------------------
[log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
To leave this list, click on the following web link:
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1
Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
click leave the list.
----------------------------------------------------------------------