A giant beaver (Castoroides ohioensis Foster) fossil from New Brunswick, Canada

Abstract

An isolated incisor tooth of a giant beaver (Castoroides ohioensis Foster) recovered from Indian Island, New Brunswick, near the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, represents the most eastern record of this animal in Canada. Unfortunately no stratigraphic context is available for the specimen, which was recovered loose near a beach also known to yield archaeological materials. The specimen may have been deposited on a storm beach from near shore deposits, but it is also possible that the tooth was carried to the site by people. The rarity of giant beaver fossils in southern Canada adds to the significance of this specimen.