Inferences of dietary preferences of Miocene squirrels (Xerinae, Sciuridae) from the Iberian Peninsula and Namibia using microwear analyses and enamel thickness

• Menéndez, Iris ^[1] ; Gómez Cano, Ana R. ^[3] ; Blanco, Fernando ^[4] ; Hernández Fernández, Manuel ^[2] ; Álvarez-Sierra, María A. ^[2] ; Oliver, Adriana ^[3]
  1. [1] Universitat de València

     Universitat de València

     Valencia, España

     
  2. [2] Universidad Complutense de Madrid

     Universidad Complutense de Madrid

     Madrid, España

     
  3. [3] Mujeres con los Pies en la Tierra
  4. [4] Museum für Naturkunde

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• Localización: Spanish journal of palaeontology, ISSN 2255-0550, Vol. 35, Nº. 2, 2020 (Ejemplar dedicado a: SPANISH JOURNAL OF PALAEONTOLOGY), págs. 185-192
• Idioma: inglés
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  • In this work, we compared microwear features and enamel thickness from upper molars (M1 and M2) of extinct Xerinae squirrels from the Miocene of Namibia (Vulcanisciurus sp) and the Iberian Peninsula (Atlantoxerus nov. sp. and Heteroxerus rubricati). We also examined the microwear from young and adult specimens of one extant squirrel, Atlantoxerus getulus, to compare it with the extinct species. Both, the microwear features and enamel thickness showed that the Miocene African species presented a more abrasive diet than the Iberian ones.