CALCIFIED ECTODERMAL COLLAGENS OF SHARK TOOTH ENAMEL AND TELEOST SCALE.

Amino acid analysis of protein from the enamel of shark teeth and from teleost scales shows the presence of collagens which can be classified chemically as ectodermal. This finding, together with results from a histological examination of the development of these tissues, constitutes strong evidence that both proteins are derived from the ectoderm, like the enamel of higher vertebrates. Since both are calcified, calcification cannot be a specific property of collagens of mesodermal origin alone.