Sciuridae
 Sciurus niger
(fox squirrel)

Image Caption:
A fox squirrel eats an acorn, probably much the same as squirrels have done form millions of years.  Evolutionally, tree squirrels and especially the large fox squirrel are sometimes called living fossils (Roth, 1996) dating back to the Oligocene, some 20 or so million years ago (Maisono, 2001).  Scientists say the squirrel’s primitive jaw is evidence they haven’t moved far from the trunk of their evolutionary tree (Roth, 1996).

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Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger rufiventer) by Willow Tree

Works Cited:

Roth, L. V.  (1996).  Cranial Integration in the Sciuridae.  American Zoologist, Vol 36, No. 1.

Maisono, J.  (2001). Sciurus niger, Eastern Fox Squirrel.  The University of Texas at Austin, DigiMorph. retrived December 10, 2008, from http://digimorph.org/specimens/Sciurus_niger/.  (Link).

See Also:

Digimorph.org's Images of Sciurus niger skull

Image Location: United States, South Dakota, Brookings
Image Date: 2008DEC06
Image Species: Sciurus niger rufiventer
(EXIF Info is accurate, stamped in UTC).

Web Page and Pictures By Peter Leitheiser
Updated: 2009JAN01