Enamel Corrosion Levels on Squirrel Teeth from the Fox Canyon Locality, Pliocene of Kansas

The enamel of teeth may be corroded after death, especially if the teeth pass through the digestive tract of a predator with low gastric pH. This study characterized enamel corrosion of fossil squirrel teeth from two species (Otospermophilus rexroadensis and Ictidomys meadensis) obtained from the Fox Canyon locality of Kansas. Using microscopic imaging, I categorized teeth based on corrosion level. For both species, over 40% of specimens exhibited heavy to extreme corrosion, suggesting gastric digestion. There was no significant difference in the distribution of corrosion categories between both upper and lower teeth of either species. Furthermore, there was no difference in the distribution of corrosion categories between the two species.

https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/honors-undergraduate-poster-symposium/2021/symposium/3