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The lantern of Aristotle is the name given by biologists to describe the chewing mechanism of sea urchins.
Aristotle's lantern, the complicated jaw mechanism of regular sea urchins. It consists of five pyramidal calcareous plates around the mouth opening. Each plate has a tooth, which protrudes from the mouth opening. Together, they have the shape of a lantern, and can be moved with powerful muscles that are attached to the animal's skeleton.
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