Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-1998

Keywords

Ground squirrels, Interspecific hybridization, Pleistocene, Spermophilus elegans, Spermophilus richardsonii, Supernumerary teeth

Abstract

A supernumerary distal upper molar, always expressed bilaterally, occurred in Pleistocene (one of 204) and Recent (five of 1,667) specimens of the Spermophilus richardsonii complex. Among Recent specimens with the abnormality, three of four with known provenance came from adjacent colonies with hybrids of S. richardsonii (Richardson's ground squirrel) and S. elegans (Wyoming ground squirrel). Elsewhere, the trait was rare in S. richardsonii (one of 947) and absent in S. elegans (out of 668). Affected individuals exhibited normal P3-M2, but two aberrant teeth distal to M2. Aberrant teeth exhibited a mosaic of features typical of M2, M3, and atypical of any normal tooth. The trait was inferred to be hereditary.

Journal Title

Journal of Mammalogy

Volume

79

Issue

4

First Page

1161

Last Page

1169

DOI

https://doi.org/10.2307/1383007

First Department

Biology

Acknowledgements

Free access article retrieved July 2, 2021 from https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article/79/4/1161/845823

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