How can scientists extrapolate a new species from two teeth (or a couple of flange bones)?

Question

I was reading this article: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/959877 and it made me wonder. Ok, I can see that if you find a couple of teeth that are unlike any you’ve seen before you have something new, but to assign it a specific species seems like a jump.

In: 2

Answer 1

Evolution works incrementally. New bones don’t just leap into existence. New traits derive from prior traits. So a bone that has a slightly different shape from those that are already known to paleontologists and biologists could indicate a unique species.