"Teeth preserve a record of their own," Professor Guatelli-Steinberg told Columbus Dispatch reporter Marion Renault. "It's almost like a fossil already, but in your mouth." Teeth - a humble and faithful fixture of archaeology - tell us a lot more than cultural aesthetic. They track the evolution of fundamental human traits: our diverse diets, long childhoods and expanding lifespans, Professor Guatelli-Steinberg details in her book, "What Teeth Reveal About Human Evolution," published last fall. Because teeth have an enamel shell and are more heavily mineralized than other parts of the skeleton, they are especially resistant to destruction and decomposition by bacteria. Enamel also preserves precious information about its owner, ready for scientists to mine. "There are a lot of clues in teeth," Guatelli-Steinberg said. Read the Dispatch article in its entirety here.