Why otoliths?
Otoliths are commonly found in sediments
Fish otoliths reach the seafloor with the decomposing fish carcass or in the feces of their predators, where they quickly enter the surficial sediments. Biotic and abiotic factors contribute to the taphonomic alteration of the otoliths in these death assemblages (Agiadi et al. 2022). Once they are buried deeper into the sediment, these factors become less important and diagenesis transforms them into fossils.
figures @Konstantina Agiadi
Otoliths have species-specific morphology
Fish otoliths are
incrementally growing
CaCO3 elements
in the inner ear of Teleost fishes
facilitate sound and balance perception
recording ambient water conditions