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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Animal remains'
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1
Prichard, Meghan E. "The Animal Remains." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1314124538.
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Macdonald, J. "The decomposition of animal remains in caves." Thesis, Nottingham Trent University, 1992. http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/28872/.
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The aim of this research, carried out at Creswell Crags, Derbyshire, was to investigate the decomposition of small mammal remains in temperate caves, with particular regard to the impact upon the cavernicolous invertebrate community and the cave sediments. The carcasses of laboratory rats were deposited in the threshold, deep threshold and hypogean regions of two caves, on sediments of differing depths layered with markers to assess the extent of bioturbation. Carcasses were covered by wire mesh to exclude vertebrate scavengers. The physical condition of the carcasses, the succession of the carrion community and the diversity of the cavernicolous invertebrates were monitored for a minimum of one year. To investigate the effect of season on decomposition, experiments were begun in both summer and winter. The processes of decomposition observed in this investigation differed considerably from those reported by other authors working on carrion deposited above ground or buried. This is especially true of the rate of carrion consumption by invertebrates which is strongly influenced by abiotic conditions. In the caves, carcasses persisted for much longer than on the surface. Carcasses in the threshold region were rapidly colonised by necrophagous Diptera, whilst the decomposition of those farther underground was initially microbial. The diversity and evenness of the invertebrate community in the threshold region were disrupted by the influx of non-cavernicolous species. In the hypogean region, the over-representation of certain troglophilic species changed the structure of the invertebrate community. These results have been incorporated into a descriptive model, which proposes decomposition pathways for small mammal carrion deposited in the threshold, deep threshold and hypogean region of shallow temperate caves. The activity of arthropods, particulary dipterous larvae, was found to disrupt the sediment beneath carrion to a depth of at least 10 cm, which has implications for cave sediment stratigraphy. A laboratory population of the staphylinid cave beetle Quedius mesomelinus was established to examine its life history and behaviour. It was concluded that the species shows a number of adaptations to cavernicolous life, including a K-selected reproductive strategy.
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Kavountzis, Erol George. "Evaluating cave use through spatial analysis of animal remains from Maya caves in Guatemala and Belize." [Gainesville, Fla.] : University of Florida, 2009. http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/UFE0041312.
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Cooke, Siobhan. "How the Vikings inhabited Scotland : a social zooarchaeological approach." Thesis, University of the Highlands and Islands, 2017. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=236075.
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The field of human-animal relations is a growing area of research, and with regard to the Viking Age the majority of this research has concerned the Scandinavian homelands. Scotland has been recognised as important in the widespread migration of the Vikings, yet subject to little theoretical enquiry. This thesis represents the first in-depth social zooarchaeological evaluation of the Scottish material to determine to what extent animals played a structuring role in the settlement of Scotland, and the ways in which the Vikings in Scotland understood and negotiated their world. A further aim was to assess the potential of a social zooarchaeological study in understanding Viking identity in Scotland, and to determine the use of animals as social expression in the context of the wider socio-political climate of Scotland. A review of faunal assemblages from published and unpublished settlement sites across the Norse inhabited regions of Scotland was conducted and a comprehensive database of Viking burials compiled, to characterise the nature of human-animal relationships in Scotland, comparable to the Scandinavian homelands and Late Iron Age Scotland. Data analysis highlighted the complexity of human-animal relationships, illustrating that such relationships were transported, acquired and developed, and for which there was regional variation. Through applying a theoretical approach, it is concluded that human-animal relations functioned in strategic ways. Thus, this thesis addresses wider questions concerning continuity, interaction, disruption and the importation of tradition into Scandinavian Scotland whereby animals were a means of negotiating and defining human-human relations.
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Smart, Tamela S. "Carpals and tarsals of mule deer, black bear and human an osteology guide for the archaeologist /." Online access, 2009. http://content.wwu.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/theses&CISOPTR=316&CISOBOX=1&REC=5.
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Wolverton, Steven J. "Environmental implications of zooarchaeological measures of resource depression /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 2001. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p3013044.
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Aydin, Mahmut No. "Animals At Burgaz In The Classical Period From The Evidence Of Faunal Remains." Master's thesis, METU, 2004. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12605502/index.pdf.
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For this thesis the animal bones collected from the archaeological excavations at the ancient site of Burgaz have been analyzed for the study of animal exploitation, human diet, social differentiation and the environment of Burgaz and Datça during the Classical Period. Comparison of the results with evidence from other sites to determine the extent to which there might have been local trends in animal husbandry. Because this kind of a research is not common among archaeologists specialising in the classical period the methodology and each process of the laboratory work has been set out. Burgaz/Datç
a is a coastal settlement but sea products do not have an important place in the human diet of the Datç
a Burgaz inhabitants. After analysis of the Burgaz bones it was determined that domestic cattle, sheep/goat, pig, horse, donkey and dog were present alongside wild goat, wild pig, fallow deer, red deer, roe deer, badger and birds as well as fish and shellfish from the sea. More than half of the bones that were identified, 220 of 430, come from floor filling levels beneath floors. It was understood that these bones were in filling materials that were brought from dump site(s). Among these bones were some worked cattle bones which have close parallels with Roman period finds at Sagalassos. Because of most of identified bones come from filling levels beneath floors it was not possible to reach definite conclusions about social hierarchy at ancient Burgaz. Sheep/goat and cattle were kept for their secondary products, such as milk, wool and power. They were slaughtered in their old age by experienced people and played an important place in diet of the Burgaz inhabitants. Pigs, on the other hand, were slaughtered when young. From the wild species found in the Classical and Hellenistic Periods it can be said that the Datç
a environment was diverse enough to accommodate a range of wild animals whose habitat indicates the existence of forested areas (with large leafed and coniferous trees) as well as of meadows and grasslands.
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Clark, Geoffrey R., and n/a. "The Kuri in prehistory : a skeletal analysis of the extinct Maori dog." University of Otago. Department of Anthropology, 1995. http://adt.otago.ac.nz./public/adt-NZDU20070531.123209.
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Skeletal remains of the prehistoric New Zealand dog, the kuri, are frequently recovered from archaeological sites. Despite their relative ubiquity only one major study, and the last for twenty five years, has been conducted. That work provided limited anatomical and osteometric information and concluded that the kuri population was homogenous through space and across time.
This study set out to provide a more detailed skeletal description and to investigate the question of population homogeneity by examinig kuri skeletal material from five museums and two university anthropology departments. Metric and non-metric data was collected from a total of thirty seven archaeological sites from throuhout New Zealand.
Variation within the population was established by comparing coefficients of variation across a number of variables. A program of univariate and multivariate analysis was carried out to examine spatial and temporal variation.
Results showed that the appendicular skeleton of the kuri has the highest levels of variation. Smaller limb shaft dimensions of late prehistoric kuri are thought to be due to a reliance on insufficient quantities of marine foods. Tooth wear analysis of late prehistoric dogs showed that they had severe tooth wear compared to �Archaic� dogs.
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Droux, Xavier. "Riverine and desert animals in predynastic Upper Egypt : material culture and faunal remains." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2015. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:d6d885a7-86f9-4d51-b4d5-bb21b26d2897.
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Animals were given a preponderant position in Egyptian art, symbolism, and cultual practices. This thesis centres on the relationship between humans and animals during the predynastic period in Upper Egypt (Naqada I-IIIB, 4th millennium BCE), focusing on hippopotamus and crocodile as representatives of the Nile environment and antelope species as representatives of the desert environment. Depictions of these animals are analysed and compared with contemporary faunal remains derived from activities such as cult, funerary, or every day consumption. The material analysed covers several centuries: temporal evolutions and changes have been identified. The animals studied in this thesis were first used by the Naqada I-IIB elites as means to visually and practically express their power, which they envisioned in two contrasting and complementary ways. The responsibilities of the leaders were symbolised by the annihilation of negative wild forces primarily embodied by antelope species. In contrast, they symbolically appropriated positive wild forces, chief among them being the hippopotamus, from which they symbolically derived their power. Faunal remains from after mid-Naqada II are few, depictions of hippopotamus disappeared and those of crocodile became rare. Antelope species became preponderant, especially on D-ware vessels, which were accessible to non-elite people. However, toward the end of the predynastic period, antelope species came to be depicted almost exclusively on high elite material; they lost their individuality and became generic representatives of chaotic forces that the leaders and early rulers had to annihilate in order to maintain control and order.
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Beisaw, April M. "Osteoarchaeology of the Englebert Site evaluating occupational continuity through the taphonomy of human and animal remains /." Diss., Online access via UMI:, 2007.
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11
Fancher, Jason M. "An ethnoarchaeological analysis of small prey bone assemblages produced by forest foragers of the Central African Republic." Pullman, Wash. : Washington State University, 2009. http://www.dissertations.wsu.edu/Dissertations/Spring2009/j_fancher_042109.pdf.
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McManus-Fry, Ellen Teresa. "Pre-contact ecology, subsistence and diet on the Yukon-Kushokwim Delta : an integrated ecosystem approach to pre-contact Arctic lifeways using zooarchaeological analysis and stable isotope techniques." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2015. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=228066.
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This thesis explores the ecology of a pre-contact Western Alaskan faunal assemblage, through a combination of zooarchaeological and stable isotope techniques. The permafrost-preserved assemblage was excavated in 2009/10 at Nunalleq (c. AD 1350-1700) on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta by the University of Aberdeen, in collaboration with Qanirtuuq Inc. and the Native village of Quinhagak. Zooarchaeological analysis was conducted to identify the species present at Nunalleq. Analysis of butchery marks suggested patterns of human utilization of faunal resources and data on the age profile of the assemblage provided information on the seasonality of hunting and site occupation. A wide range of marine, freshwater and terrestrial species was observed, with pinnipeds, dogs and caribou particularly frequent. Subsequently, stable isotope analysis (δ13C, δ15N and δ34S) was carried out on 20 species identified at Nunalleq. The application of carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis enabled investigation of the diets and habitats of the various species and their relative positions in the food-web. These data were compared with data from contemporaneous Alaskan sites and modern studies, allowing investigation of diachronic and geographical variability. The dogs, as the only domestic species found in the prehistoric North American Arctic with a unique role between the domestic and the wild, were the focus of an in-depth zooarchaeological and isotopic case study. The comparison of stable isotope data from humans and dogs revealed a similarity in diet and, together with osteological evidence for butchery, indicated the complex role of dogs in human subsistence strategies. Sulphur isotope analysis provided a complementary tool with which to explore isotope variability, and facilitated a consideration of its potential benefits in enhancing the more commonly-used combination of carbon and nitrogen analysis in the interpretation of faunal isotope ecology. The advantages of integrating zooarchaeological and stable isotope data are discussed and future research directions are explored.
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Lore, Robert J. "Ceramic Period Adaptations in the Gulf of Maine: Maritime, Terrestrial, and Horticultural Inputs Faunal Analysis of an Armouchiquois Indian Village." Fogler Library, University of Maine, 2004. http://www.library.umaine.edu/theses/pdf/LoreRJ2004.pdf.
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Livingston, Stephanie. "The avian and mammalian faunas from Lovelock Cave and the Humboldt Lakebed Site /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/6464.
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Hull, Bradley Douglas. "Social differentiation and diet in Early Anglo-Saxon England: Stable isotope analysis of archaeological human and animal remains." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2008. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.491260.
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The stable isotope values of the early Anglo-Saxons (410-700 AD) in Britain are used to assess dietary variability across a culture group. A total of 801 bone collagen samples from 15 inhumation cemeteries and 4 settlements were analysed for stable isotopes. The universality of human diet in a single cultural group, in the same time period, at a variety of sites is questioned. To address this issue, stable isotope results from Anglo-Saxon inhumations were compared with six different types of burial evidence: sex, age, height, body position, grave orientation and grave goods.
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Gigleux, Ciara Ann Mannion. "Caribou, climate change and the pre-contact Yup'ik : the isotope ecology and biogeography of a key subsistence species." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2018. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=238753.
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Rangifer have the greatest circumpolar distribution of any living ungulate and have played an important role in the lives of many Arctic Indigenous communities for thousands of years. Given the prolific nature of Rangifer remains in many Arctic archaeological contexts, and their continued importance in many contemporary Arctic Indigenous societies, this species has the potential to be an important source of information about past Arctic human-animal-environment interactions. Given the noted influence of local and global climatic shifts on Rangifer ecology in the present, knowledge of the palaeoecology and palaeobiogeography of such a key prey-species, coupled with an indication of palaeoclimatic context, may provide valuable insights into animal-human interactions, human subsistence activities and landscape use in the past. The aims of this thesis are three-fold. The first is to explore Rangifer isotopic variability, and to indicate the utility of this species as a palaeoclimatic proxy, by isotopically analysing modern samples from across the circumpolar North. The second aim is to investigate the palaeoecology and palaeobiogeography of caribou from the pre-contact Little Ice Age (15th–17th century AD) Yup'ik village site of Nunalleq, Western Alaska, in order to determine their ranging patterns and to identify if these patterns are similar to those seen in modern caribou in the area today. The third aim brings both of these aims together in order to undertake the first multi-isotopic investigation of archaeological Rangifer in North America to provide an indication of the palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic context of Nunalleq. This information, in conjunction with the caribou palaeoecological and palaeogeographical knowledge, will inform on caribou-environment and caribou-human interactions at the site. To that end, bulk bone bioapatite δ18OCO3 and δ18OPO4, and bulk bone collagen δ13C, δ15N and δ34S isotope analysis is undertaken on Rangifer from five modern herds from across the circumpolar North to explore the relationships between stable isotope ratios and environmental factors. The data presented here suggest that Rangifer bioapatite δ18O is a potentially useful proxy for regional climate. Intra and inter-population variability in these isotopic systems suggests the potential of using these to distinguish between herds and environments, particularly δ18O and δ34S. Sequential strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and oxygen (δ18OCO3) isotope data from caribou (Rangifer sp.) tooth enamel from Nunalleq are analysed in order to reconstruct caribou movement patterns in this region during the Little Ice Age. The data presented here suggests these Nunalleq caribou undertook some seasonal movements. Comparison with observational data of the local herd in the region today suggests a shift in calving area and range use between the late Holocene period represented by the site and the present day. Finally, bulk bone bioapatite δ18OPO4 and bulk bone collagen δ13C and δ15N on caribou from the site are used to reconstruct palaeotemperature for the area surrounding Nunalleq and to inform on additional palaeoenvironmental considerations. The data generated in this thesis provide new empirical data for future research in isotope zooarchaeology and significant baseline data for use in palaeodietary and palaeoenvironmental interpretation of fossil Rangifer. The isotopic data complement the wealth of data derived from other research at Nunalleq, illuminating the influence of changing climatic conditions on prey-species palaeoecology and human–animal interactions at the site.
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Greenfield, Tina Lynn. "Feeding empires : the political economy of a Neo-Assyrian provincial capital through the analysis of zooarchaeological remains." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2014. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.707969.
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Kimball, Vaughn R. "Variability in late prehistoric prey-use strategies of the southeastern Columbia Plateau a test using the Harder Site faunal assemblage /." Online access for everyone, 2005. http://www.dissertations.wsu.edu/Thesis/Spring2005/v%5Fkimball%5F050505.pdf.
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Lincoln, Rebecca A. "Disarticulation and Dissolution of Crab Remains Across a Depth Gradient in the Bahamas : A Taphonomic Study." Oberlin College Honors Theses / OhioLINK, 2000. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=oberlin1415356163.
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Speller, Camilla F. "One fish, two fish, old fish, new fish: investigating differential distribution of salmon resources in the Pacific Northwest through ancient DNA analysis /." Burnaby B.C. : Simon Fraser University, 2005. http://ir.lib.sfu.ca/handle/1892/2023.
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Parmenter, Philippa Claire Rousell. "A reassessment of the role of animals at the Etton Causewayed Enclosure." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/18013.
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In recent years, causewayed enclosures have come to be regarded as being ceremonial or ritual sites. This classification is derived from a perceived lack of evidence pertaining to domestic settlement, in the form of houses and 'typical' domestic animal bone assemblages, and a perceived abundance of 'atypical' material and methods of deposition. This thesis explores the animal bone from the Etton causewayed enclosure in order to ascertain whether these perceptions have an empirical basis. Etton was excavated in the 1980s, and the published literature relating to the site appeared to conform to the stereotypes established for causewayed enclosure sites, however during preliminary analysis, it became clear that the animal bone data was not complete and that many of the inferences regarding the role of animals at Etton were the result of presumption or data being taken out of context. Specifically, this thesis looks at the nature of the fractures on the animal bones from Etton, and also from a similar causewayed enclosure at Staines in order to establish a clear taphonomic history for the faunal remains on the site, from which aspects of the role of animals can be deduced. In archaeological literature the absence of 'fresh', or helical fractures (which tend to result from the conscious decision to break a bone for marrow) is said to support the hypothesis that sites of this type were not domestic in nature. This assertion has been made despite the fact that no detailed studies into bone fracture at Neolithic sites have ever been undertaken. This thesis demonstrates that at both Etton and Staines, fresh fractures were abundant and considers the potential implications of this for these sites. In so doing it highlights the dangers of presuming evidence exists or does not exist, and of cherry-picking data to fit a preordained ideal rather than allowing the data to speak for itself. At Etton and Staines, the animal bone speaks not necessarily of a categorically ceremonial or ritual economy, divorced from the domestic economy of the time, but of a more mundane economy, with occasional 'atypical' activity, that was standard for the inhabitants of causewayed enclosures, whether at this type of site or elsewhere.
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Lauwerier, Roel C. G. M. "Animals in Roman times in the Dutch Eastern River area." Amersfoort [Netherlands] : ROB, 1988. http://books.google.com/books?id=aQguAAAAMAAJ.
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Brink, J. S. "The evolution of the black wildebeest, Connochaetes gnou, and modern large mammal faunas in central Southern Africa /." Link to the online version, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/1342.
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Fenner, Jack N. "Prehistoric hunting on the range where the antelope play archaeological pronghorn bonebed formation analysis /." Laramie, Wyo. : University of Wyoming, 2007. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1338865581&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=18949&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
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Dewbury, Adam Gordon. "Stones and bones an actualistic approach to understanding cutmark frequency variation /." Diss., Online access via UMI:, 2009.
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26
Hofkamp, Anthony Raymond. "Age Determination of Modern and Archaeological Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytcha) Using Vertebrae." PDXScholar, 2015. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/2219.
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Incremental growth rings in X-rays of salmon vertebrae have been used since the 1980s to age Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) remains from archaeological sites in the Pacific Northwest. These age estimates, paired with generalized life history patterns, have been used to determine salmon species, season of capture and in turn season of site occupation. This approach relies on a variety of assumptions, the most fundamental of which is that rings represent true years. Archaeologists using vertebral age determination techniques have failed to adequately test this assumption and present their methodologies. This thesis assesses the validity of using incremental growth structures in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) vertebrae to determine the age at death of fish represented in archaeological sites. This project develops criteria and a protocol for the identification of true annuli and tests these identifications on a collection of modern Chinook salmon of known age. Finally, this protocol is applied to archaeological remains of Chinook from Cathlapotle (45CL1).
Three collections of modern known age fish (N=121) were used to evaluate and test approaches to aging Chinook salmon with vertebrae. These collections contained juvenile and adult Chinook from throughout Washington and Oregon. I evaluated a variety of methods for viewing rings including magnified surface images, X-ray images and thin sections to determine which is the most accurate, reliable and efficient, also considering the extent of specimen destruction. Rings visible in X-rays were found to reflect the internal structure of vertebrae rather than annular growth. The number of these internal walls did not correspond to the known ages of fish and are therefore not true annuli.
Criteria previously described by salmon fisheries biologist were used to isolate annuli (on the centrum surface) on the Hanford reach collection (N=46). In a test for accuracy 39 (85%) were aged correctly. In a test of reliability utilizing five additional readers all but 14 cases showed discrepancies among readers. Results of the test of reliability were not as successful as other researchers in fisheries biology but given the high accuracy rate the method remains valid.
The final goal of this project was to determine the feasibility of applying the surface ring method of age determination to archaeological collections. Archaeological salmon vertebrae from Cathlapotle (45CL1) on the lower Columbia River, Washington state were utilized. One hundred salmon vertebrae were selected and classified to species according to Huber et al. (2011); 89 were identified as Chinook. Of these, 39 had sufficient preservation of the surface to view and interpret incremental rings. Three ages were identified 3, 4 and 5 year olds. This ageing protocol can be applied to archaeological Chinook salmon vertebrae to estimate age of ancient Chinook salmon. Additional work is needed on other salmon species to demonstrate the methods validity across all salmonid species.
This analysis has great potential for modeling salmon paleo-life history by contributing data from salmon populations prior to the major impacts of the 19th and 20th century. This is particularly valuable for salmon conservation because information on size, the timing and duration of freshwater emigration as well as the age of spawning and death is critical to the management of hatchery and wild salmon populations.
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Wallman, Diane E. "Meat me in St. Louis an analysis of 19th century historic faunal remains from Cochran Gardens (23SL2229), St. Louis, Missouri /." Pullman, Wash. : Washington State University, 2009. http://www.dissertations.wsu.edu/Thesis/Spring2009/d_wallman_042009.pdf.
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Thesis (M.A. in anthropology)--Washington State University, May 2009.Title from PDF title page (viewed on May 21, 2009). "Department of Anthropology." Includes bibliographical references (p. 171-184).
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Jones, Emily Lena. "Broad spectrum diets and the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) : dietary change during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition in the Dordogne, southwestern France /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/6529.
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Valenzuela, Oliver Alejandro. "La gestió dels recursos animals en la integració de les Illes Balears al món romà." Doctoral thesis, Universitat de Barcelona, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/395025.
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La Tesi doctoral presentada té per objectiu general avaluar els processos de canvi social i biològic als quals va donar lloc la integració de les Illes Balears al món romà. El treball es centra en l'estudi del registre arqueozoològic de les Balears des de l'Edat del Ferro fins al desenvolupament i consolidació de la societat romana. Per això, s'han estudiat totes les categories taxonòmiques possibles (mamífers, aus, ictiofauna, amfibis, rèptils i mol•luscs) dels següents jaciments: Pollentia, Sa Mesquida, Pedret de Bóquer, Son Fornés, Son Espases i Montefi.
Des d'un nivell d'anàlisi social, es pretenia establir les diverses pràctiques productives, en aquest cas agropecuàries, que es van desenvolupar al llarg d'aquest període. Per això va ser fonamental establir, en primera instància, les relacions socials de producció del sistema socioeconòmic de les comunitats talaiòtiques. Per, posteriorment, poder identificar els canvis que es van generar amb la inserció de aquest model al sistema romà.
Des d'un nivell d'anàlisi biològica, es pretenia establir l'estat de la biodiversitat insular en aquest marc cronològic de transició al món romà i així avaluar el seu impacte mediambiental. L'estudi acota una seqüència diacrònica de canvis molt significatius dins de l'evolució del territori balear. Es posa l'èmfasi en l'anàlisi de les invasions biològiques esdevingudes. Es tractava de documentar aquestes invasions, establir la seva cronologia precisa i estudiar les seves conseqüències.
Els resultats obtinguts amb la realització d'aquest treball indiquen que, a les Gimnèsies, el període romà marcà l'inici d'un dels canvis més importants en les formes que tengueren els seus habitants de gestionar i relacionar-se amb els seus recursos animals. A nivell ecològic, no només suposà un impacte de primer ordre per a la biodiversitat insular, amb la introducció de noves espècies que va provocar l'homogeneïtzació de la diversitat animal, sinó que també amplià i intensificà els biotops explotats, integrant ara no només el recursos terrestres sinó també els d'origen marí, com són els peixos.
A nivell social, és el primer cop des de l'arribada dels humans que s'evidencia de forma clara a les illes el manteniment sostingut d'una part de la població (urbana i militar) que no estava directament implicada en la producció dels seus propis aliments. Aquest fet marca l'inici de la separació entre productors i consumidors, i estableix una diferenciació clara entre dos models econòmics: un pre-romà, destinat a la producció de caire autàrquic, i un romà, on s'adopta una política econòmica de producció d'excedents i que es destina tant al manteniment de la nova estructura social com a la integració de productes dins la xarxa comercial mediterrània.The invasion of the Balearic Islands by Romans caused a transformation in several aspects of the native communities. Although, some of the aspects of the economy are known, it is not well understood how the livestock consumption and production changed. By studying the faunal remains of the two islands (i.e., Mallorca and Menorca) and focusing on the Iron Age to Roman transition, a better understanding of the factors is reached. The data of a large number of sites from both islands is used to demonstrate changes in species representation and body size. At the same time, this research provides a first insight into the inter-island comparison of development of the animal husbandry during this period.
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McComb, Patricia. "A technological study of selected osseous artifacts from the Upper Palaeolithic of Britain and Belgium." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1988. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:924d6551-80d8-4d69-b763-8c6ad29a7bbf.
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This thesis records the study of over one thousand selected, bone, antler and ivory artifacts from the Upper Palaeolithic in Britain and Belgium, with particular reference to manufacture. The methods used include the experimental manufacture and use of certain bone and antler artifacts, and the recording of the traces produced. This information is used as a reference collection with which to compare the archaeological material. Both the experimental and the archaeological implements are examined either with the aid of a handlens, or at a variety of magnifications using an optical microscope and a scanning electron microscope. Upper Palaeolithic bone tool types as a whole are considered for comparative purposes, as are some ethnographic artifacts. The artifacts studied here are ordered into twenty-six different tool types, each of which is discussed in turn; this includes a description of the raw materials used, of the identifiable traces of manufacture and their interpretation, and of the identifiable traces of use, and their interpretation. The regional and chronological distribution of the specimens is also considered, as is any variation in each type, for example in size or in the raw materials used. Some regional and chronological patterning is found, but in the absence of reliable contextual information, its interpretation is often speculative. It is concluded that a large scale programme of radiocarbon accelerator dating of actual artifacts is required to solve this problem.
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Henrikson, Lael Suzann. "Ponds, rivers and bison freezers : evaluating a behavioral ecological model of hunter-gatherer mobility on Idaho's Snake River Plain /." view abstract or download file of text, 2002. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/uoregon/fullcit?p3072588.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2002.Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 314-326). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.
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Scott, Elizabeth M. "The poultry faunal pattern at the Lanier Site (12 Je 490) : an intra-site faunal analysis with a focus on avian remains." Virtual Press, 2004. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1305452.
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An intra-site faunal analysis utilizing archaeological, historical and documentary resources is conducted to identify, analyze and interpret the distribution of avian faunal remains to reveal patterns that reflect the production, use and disposal of bird species at the Lanier State Historic Site in Madison, Indiana. The materials are analyzed from a viable stratified sample from primary (i.e., poultry house, kitchen, yard areas) and secondary contexts for comparison. Analysis shows a correlation between primary contexts associated with areas of activities associated with the production, use and disposal of bird remains. Organizational behaviors relevant to small-scale poultry production, with a focus on chickens, are considered in order to explain connections between behaviors and the archaeologically recovered remains (material by-products of behavior).Department of Anthropology
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Fredriksson, Matilda. "The skeletal remains of the naval ship Mars : An osteological pre-study for analysing digitally documented skeletalremains in a marine context." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för arkeologi och antik historia, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-325086.
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Denna kandidatuppsats är ämnad att ligga som grund för framtida osteologisk dokumentation ochanalys av de skeletala kvarlevorna från skeppet Mars, och är utförd i samarbete med projektet SkeppetMars (1564).Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka och problematisera möjligheterna att analyseradigitalt dokumenterade skeletala kvarlevor i en marin miljö. För att utvärdera möjligheterna ochbegränsningarna med att utföra en digital osteologisk analys utfördes en mindre studie av det digitaltdokumenterade material som hittills insamlats från skeppet Mars. Analysen visade att en osteologiskanalys kan utföras på digitalt dokumenterade skeletala kvarlevor men att det finns begränsningar medatt utföra en analys av ett två dimensionellt källmaterial. Syftet med denna uppsats är även attdiskutera och lyfta fram hur skeletala kvarlevor påverkas under längre tid i marina sediment* samtbräckt/salt vatten. Syftet med denna uppsats är även att diskutera hur en hypotetisk inhämtning och konservering av de skeletala kvarlevorna från skeppet Mars bör utföras.This bachelor's thesis is intended to lay the ground for future osteological documentation and analysisof the skeletal remains from the naval ship Mars, and is conducted with the project Skeppet Mars(1564). The main purpose of this thesis is to examine and problematise the possibility to analysedigitally documented skeletal remains in a marine context. In order to evaluate the possibilities andlimitations of performing an osteological analysis, a small analysis was conducted on the digitallydocumented skeletal remains collected from the naval ship Mars so far. The analysis showed that anosteological analysis can be performed on digitally documented skeletal remains, there are, however,limitations of performing an analysis on a two dimensional documentation. The secondary purpose ofthis thesis is to discuss and highlight how skeletal remains are affected by marine sediment* andbrackish/saltwater over a long period of time. An additional goal for this thesis is to discuss how ahypothetical retrieval and conservation of the skeletal remains of the naval ship Mars shouldpreferably be performed.
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Winstead, Christy. "The Use of Faunal Remains for Identifying Shifts in Pit Structure Function in the Mesa Verde Region: a Case Study From Goodman Point." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2015. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc804909/.
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The archaeofaunal remains left by the Ancestral Puebloan people of Goodman Point Unit provides a valuable, yet underutilized resource into pit structure function. This thesis explores temporal changes in pit structure use and evaluates if a final feast occurred during a kiva decommissioning. The results from zooarchaeological analyses of a pithouse and two great kivas suggest that changes in pit structures at Goodman Point mimic the regional trend toward specialization until late Pueblo III. Cross-cultural studies on feasts, southwest ethnographies and previous zooarchaeological work established methods for identifying a feast. The analysis of differences in faunal remains from a great kiva and multiple room block middens imply that the remains in the kiva were from a final feast prior to a decommissioning ceremony and were not fill. Spatially and temporally the great kiva appears to be a unique, specialized structure in the cultural development of the Goodman Point community.
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Braje, Todd J. "Archaeology, human impacts, and historical ecology on San Miguel Island, California /." view abstract or download file of text, 2007. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1404340481&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=11238&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2007.Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 339-383). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.
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Fredriksson, Matilda. "Digital Marine Osteoarchaeology : The problematization of bodies and bones in water." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för arkeologi och antik historia, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-325083.
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This master's thesis is intended as a foundation for further development of methods for digital marine osteoarchaeology. The main purpose of this thesis was to examine and problematise the process of locating, documenting, and analyzing skeletal remains in marine archaeological, and other hard to reach sites. Three forms of osteological analysis' was performed and assessed: one based on analysis of physical skeletal remains, another based on 2D documented skeletal remains, and a third on analysis on 3D reconstructed skeletal remains. The secondary purpose of this thesis was to problematise the taphonomic effects on bodies, body parts, and bones in marine environments, necessary for the evaluation of the different methods. The analysis' has been conducted on source material provided by the research projects for the naval ships Mars and Gribshunden, the National Maritime Museum of Sweden, the Sandby Borg project, and the Çatalhöyük project. In addition, a test was carried out, with eight volunteer osteology students at Campus Gotland, Uppsala University, during a seminar exercise. The results collected through the osteological analysis' performed on the three different formats and the students osteology exercise could be used in order to highlight a variation of data available in the different formats. The results was then used in order to create a basis for future digital documentation methods that may be applied in the field. The secondary aim of this thesis was addressed through the use of the naval ships Mars and Gribshunden as case examples in order to address the limited amount of skeletal remains located so far at the marine archaeological sites.Denna master uppsats är ämnad som grund för vidare utveckling av metoder för digital marinosteoarkeologi. Det huvudsakliga syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka och problematisera problemen kring at lokalisera, dokumentera, och analysera skeletala kvarlevor vid marinarkeologiska, och andra svåråtkomliga lokaler. Tre olika slags osteologiska analyser utfördes: en baserad på analyser av skeletala kvarlevor, en annan baserad analyser av 2D dokumenterade skeletala kvarlevor, och en tredje baserat på analyser av 3D rekonstruerade skeletala kvarlevor. Det sekundära syftet uppsatsen var att problematisera den tafonomiska påverkan på kroppar, kroppsdelar, och ben i marina miljöer, nödvändiga för utvärderingen för de olika metoderna. Analyserna har utförts på källmaterial som tillgängliggjorts genom forskningsprojekten för skeppen Mars och Gribshunden, Statens Maritima Museer i Sverige, Sandby borg projektet, och Catalhöyük projektet. Utöver detta har även en studie utförts tillsammans med åtta frivilliga osteologistudenter vid Campus Gotland, Uppsala Universitet, under en seminarieövning. Resultaten som samlades in genom de osteologiska analyserna av de tre olika källmaterialen och student studien användes för att kunna understryka den datavariation som fanns tillgänglig för de olika källmaterialen. Resultaten användes för att skapa en grund för framtida digitala dokumentationsmetoder som kan appliceras i fält. Det sekundära syftet med studien besvarades genom att använda skeppen Mars och Gribshunden som exempel för att kunna diskutera den begränsade mängden skeletala kvarlevor som hittills hittats vid de marinarkeologiska lokalerna.
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LaMotta, Vincent Michael. "Zooarchaeology and chronology of Homol'ovi I and other Pueblo IV period sites in the central Little Colorado River Valley, northern Arizona." Diss., Tucson, Ariz. : University of Arizona, 2006. http://etd.library.arizona.edu/etd/GetFileServlet?file=file:///data1/pdf/etd/azu%5Fetd%5F1597%5F1%5Fm.pdf&type=application/pdf.
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Jeffrey, Amy. "Exploring palaeoaridity using stable oxygen and carbon isotopes in small mammal teeth : a case study from two Late Pleistocene archaeological cave sites in Morocco, North Africa." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2016. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:5443f540-1049-4f89-8240-970afd5e59f5.
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Revised chronologies from Moroccan cave sites have raised questions concerning the timing of changes in human cultural behaviour in relation to past climate shifts. However, many of the inferences about past moisture regimes are based on external records. Therefore, this thesis aimed to develop a palaeoclimate record using oxygen and carbon isotope values (d18O and d13C) in Gerbillinae (gerbil) teeth from two Late Pleistocene cave sites, El Harhoura 2 and Taforalt, in Morocco. Since small mammals are not commonly used to construct proxy climate records, a modern isotope study was undertaken in northwestern Africa to understand the influences on the stable isotope composition of small mammal tissues in semi-arid and arid settings. The results from the modern study show that d18O composition of gerbil teeth is strongly correlated with mean annual precipitation (MAP), and therefore in arid settings reflects moisture availability. Predictably, the d13C values of the gerbil teeth reflected C3 and C4 dietary inputs, but arid and mesic sites could not be distinguished because of the high variability displayed in d13C. The d18O isotope-based MAP reconstructions suggest that the Mediterranean coastal region of North Africa did not experience hyper-arid conditions during the Late Pleistocene. The d13C values of the gerbil teeth show that C3 vegetation dominated in the Late Pleistocene, but there was a small amount C4 vegetation present at Taforalt. This indicates that small mammals are extremely sensitive to discreet shifts in past vegetation cover. Both the modern and archaeological studies demonstrated that the isotope values of molars and incisors differed. The results indicate that tooth choice is an important consideration for applications as proxy Quaternary records, but also highlights a new potential means to distinguish seasonal contexts. Comparisons of proxy climate records and cultural sequences at Taforalt and El Harhoura 2 show that Middle Stone Age occupations of both sites occurred during relatively humid and arid climate phases. The transition to the Later Stone Age appears to have taken place during a period of increased aridity, hinting that this cultural transition may be related to changing environmental conditions.
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Wooding, Jeanette E. "The identification of bovine tuberculosis in zooarchaeological assemblages. Working towards differential diagnostic criteria." Thesis, University of Bradford, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/5123.
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The study of human palaeopathology has developed considerably in the last three decades resulting in a structured and standardised framework of practice, based upon skeletal lesion patterning and differential diagnosis. By comparison, disarticulated zooarchaeological assemblages have precluded the observation of lesion distributions, resulting in a dearth of information regarding differential diagnosis and a lack of standard palaeopathological recording methods. Therefore, zoopalaeopathology has been restricted to the analysis of localised pathologies and ‘interesting specimens’. Under present circumstances, researchers can draw little confidence that the routine recording of palaeopathological lesions, their description or differential diagnosis will ever form a standard part of zooarchaeological analysis. This has impeded the understanding of animal disease in past society and, in particular, has restricted the study of systemic disease. This research tackles this by combining the disciplines of human palaeopathology and zoopalaeopathology and focusing on zoonotic disease. The primary aim of this research was to investigate the skeletal manifestation of bTB in cattle, sheep/goat and pig to establish differential diagnostic criteria for its identification in zooarchaeological assemblages. Methods commonplace in human palaeopathology were adapted and applied to zoopalaeopathology, in addition to radiography and aDNA analysis. The results emphasise the difficulties but also the potential associated with the identification of systemic diseases in zooarchaeological assemblages. An approach to the classification of potentially infectious lesions is presented that enables the calculation of crude prevalence in disarticulated assemblages. In addition, the potential for a DNA analysis to shed further light on animal disease in the past is emphasised.Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
Many of the images have been removed from the online version due to copyright restrictions. The embargo period for the thesis ended: 16th January 2018.
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Atwell, Ricky Gilmer. "Subsistence variability on the Columbia Plateau." PDXScholar, 1989. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/4048.
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Long-term human dietary change is a poorly understood aspect of Columbia Plateau prehistory. Faunal assemblages from thirty-four archaeological sites on the Plateau are organized into fifteen aggregate assemblages that are defined spatially and temporally. These assemblages are examined in terms of a focal-diffuse model using ecological measures of diversity, richness and evenness. Variability and patterning in the prehistoric subsistence record is indicated. Major trends in human diet and shifts in subsistence economies are documented and the relationship between subsistence and some initial semi-sedentary adaptations on the Plateau is clarified.
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Wooding, Jeanette Eve. "The identification of bovine tuberculosis in zooarchaeological assemblages : working towards differential diagnostic criteria." Thesis, University of Bradford, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/5123.
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Laurent, Christine. "La "micro-archéologie": méthode et applications sur des sites de Wallonie et de la Région bruxelloise." Doctoral thesis, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/211696.
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Muniz, Adolfo A. "Feeding the periphery modeling early Bronze Age economies and the cultural landscape of the Faynan District, Southern Jordan /." Diss., Connect to a 24 p. preview or request complete full text in PDF format. Access restricted to UC campuses, 2007. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p3258982.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2007.Title from first page of PDF file (viewed June 13, 2007). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 338-387).
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Avery, Graham. "Avian fauna, palaeoenvironments and palaeoecology in the late quaternary of the Western and Southern Cape, South Africa." Doctoral thesis, University of Cape Town, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22441.
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Bibliography: pages 171-197.Avian remains in coastal archaeological samples from Eland's Bay Cave, Die Kelders Cave 1 and Nelson Bay Cave in the Cape Province, South Africa, cover the periods between 80 000 and 40 000 B.P. and 18 000 and 300 B.P. Results of modern comparative surveys indicate that beached birds provide a predictable food supply. Kolmogorov-Smirnov two-sample nonparametric tests confirmed the close resemblance between the relative proportions of seabirds in archaeological and beached assemblages and earlier assumptions that the composition of seabird samples in archaeological sites could not otherwise have been achieved. It is shown that this simple but effective practice has a history going well into the Middle Stone Age. Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests for differences between the relative proportions of skeletal elements of Cape cormorants preserved in archaeological and modern jackal accumulations provided a useful means of drawing attention to possible activity of jackals and/or domesticated dogs. Recognition that diagenesis in some earlier samples may mimic the characteristics of modern jackal samples has established the need to extend the comparison of skeletal elements to additional species and to study the relative durability of avian skeletal elements. Similar comparison with the proportions of modern mammalian and avian predator prey species and size (mass) categories provided no indication that black or martial eagles might have contributed to the samples. Similarly, present knowledge of Cape eagle owls argues against their being likely inhabitants of caves suitable for occupation by people. It is concluded that people were the primary accumulators of the assemblages studied and that the role of small food items in prehistoric subsistence can be addressed with greater confidence. Correspondence analysis was used to determine the existence of seasonality in the modern beached seabird samples. The profiles of the archaeological samples are plotted in relation to months in which they were most likely to have been collected. Seasonal evidence from species not subjected to the correspondence analysis supported these results. The results obtained closely supported the hypothesis for seasonal exploitation of the coast. It was also possible to indicate that visits were probably of short duration and that their timing varied. Exploitation of seabirds did not coincide with the period of maximum availability of beached birds. Comparison of the avian evidence with that from seals, Cape dune mole rats and steenbok/grysbok suggested that small food items comprised part of a seasonal strategy that made maximum use of a range of seasonal resources. Evidence for significant local environmental change in addition to, and in support of, existing information has been obtained. Fluctuations in marine, freshwater and terrestrial birds at Eland's Bay Cave have been related to evidence for changes in terminal Pleistocene and Holocene sea levels and the position of the coast, and in the morphology of Verlorenvlei. At Die Kelders Cave 1 between 80 000 and 40 000 B.P., previously drier conditions were ameliorating and mixed scrub and grass and freshwater existed on the coastal foreland in the vicinity of the cave. Fluctuations in frequencies of seabirds indicate that the sea level rose slightly and then receded during the period of deposition. At Nelson Bay Cave samples indicate the approach of the coast after the Last Glacial Maximum, the disappearance of grassland and its replacement by scrub and bush as significant elements of the vegetation. Freshwater birds did not respond as expected, however, indicating that their interpretation at Nelson Bay Cave is complex and not consistent with evidence for wetter or drier conditions. A possible link has been shown to exist between fluctuations of albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters at Nelson Bay Cave and the intensity of wind patterns which are related to oceanic and atmospheric circulation. Further investigation should establish whether seabirds would provide an index of climatic conditions without support from other sources.
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Laurie, Eva M. "An investigation of the common cockle (Cerastoderma edule (L)) : collection practices at the kitchen midden sites of Norsminde and Krabbesholm, Denmark /." Oxford : Archaeopress, 2008. http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/fy0903/2008472338.html.
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Green, Elizabeth Tremont. "An evaluation of camelid skeletal frequencies, patterning, deposition, and food utility at the site of Pirque Alto, Cochabamba, Bolivia." Diss., Online access via UMI:, 2009.
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Hamilton, Julie. "Isotopes in the landscape : carbon and nitrogen isotopes of domestic animals and their application to the archaeology of the Upper and Middle Thames Valley in the Neolithic to Roman periods." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2015. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:948287d6-a930-41ad-951b-8fe865e96002.
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This thesis deals with the development of farming landscapes in the Thames Valley from the Neolithic to the Roman period (4000 BCE - 410 CE). The focus is on the major domestic animal species, cattle, sheep and pig, and their roles in the agroecosystem, traced using carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios measured in collagen. The large dataset of faunal isotope values from a limited area, obtained from sites with extensive archaeological and environmental information, allowed a thorough characterisation of variability in isotope values, within and between species, sites, archaeological periods, and landscape regions. Isotope ratios in a flock of modern sheep showed less variability than archaeological assemblages. Linear mixed models were used to analyse variation in isotope values in 1490 archaeological samples from 23 sites. The pattern of change over time differed for cattle, sheep and pig, reflecting both wide-scale environmental change and changes in animal management. d13C values of cattle and pigs reflected the loss of primary closed-canopy woodland. Pig management changed from an emphasis on woodland resources to a closer association with settlement and consumption of anthropogenic waste. Herbivore d15N values probably reflect variations in the intensity of pasture use and association with arable farming. Climatic cooling since the post-glacial thermal maximum cannot explain these varied trajectories of change. Variation between sites in faunal isotope values was related to landscape regions. Faunal isotope values at individual sites were useful in site interpretation in the context of other evidence. The trend in pig and cattle δ13C values with time was widely found in the UK, as expected if it represents forest clearance. In the Neolithic, cattle management was similar to the UK at central and eastern European Neolithic sites, but pig management was different. Patterns of faunal isotope values and their changes over time, analysed in the context of archaeological and environmental information, can contribute to the interpretation of sites, and give a unique perspective on changes in farming practice and their effects on the landscape.
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Young, Ruth. "Agriculture and pastoralism in the late Bronze and Iron Age, North West frontier province, Pakistan : an integrated study of the archaeological plant and animal remains from rural and urban sites, using modern ethnographic information to develop a model of economic organisation and contact /." Oxford : Archaeopress, 2003. http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb39071852r.
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Popejoy, Traci Glyn. "Zooarchaeology and Biogeography of Freshwater Mussels in the Leon River During the Late Holocene." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2015. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc801918/.
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The Leon River, a small-medium river in central Texas, is highly impacted by multiple impoundments, enrichment from agricultural runoff, and decreased dissolved oxygen levels. This degraded river contains sixteen unionid species, two of which are both endemic to the region and candidates for the federal endangered species listing (Quadrula houstonensis and Truncilla macrodon). While there is a short historical record for this river basin and a recent modern survey completed in 2011, zooarchaeological data adds evidence for conservation efforts by increasing the time depth of data available and providing another conservation baseline. Zooarchaeological data for the Leon River is available from the two Late Holocene archaeological sites: 41HM61 and the Belton Lake Assemblages. Data generated from these assemblages describe the prehistoric freshwater mussel community of the Leon River in terms of taxonomic composition and structure. By comparing this zooarchaeological data to the data generated by the longitudinal modern survey of the Leon River, long term changes within the freshwater mussel community can be detected. A conceptual model is constructed to evaluate how robusticity, identifiability, and life history ecology affect unionid taxonomic abundances in zooarchaeological data. This conceptual model functions as an interpretive tool for zooarchaeologists to evaluate forms of equifinality in zooarchaeological assemblages. This thesis determines differences between the late Holocene and modern freshwater community of the Leon River, explores how different alternative mechanisms influence zooarchaeological data, and exemplifies of how zooarchaeological data can be used for conservation biology.
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Brink, James Simpson. "The evolution of the black wildebeest, Connochaetes gnou, and modern largemammal faunas in central Southern Africa." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/1342.
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Thesis (PhD (Archaeology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005.This study investigates the evolution of modern mammalian faunas in the central interior of southern Africa by testing the hypothesis that the evolution of the black wildebeest, Connochaetes gnou, was directly associated with the emergence of Highveld-type open grasslands in the central interior. Southern Africa can be distinguished from other arid and semi-arid parts of the continent by the presence of an alliance of endemic grazing ungulates. The black wildebeest is characteristic of this alliance. Open habitats are essential for the reproductive behaviour of the black wildebeest, because territorial males require an unobstructed view of their territories in order to breed. The specialised territorial breeding behaviour of the black wildebeest is the reason why the black wildebeest is historically confined to the Highveld and Karoo areas and why it is reproductively isolated from sympatric blue wildebeest, Connochaetes taurinus. The finds from a number of fossil-rich localities, dating from the recent past to approximately a million years ago, have been identified. The remains referred to ancestral C. gnou have been subjected to detailed qualitative and quantitative osteological comparisons with cranial and post-cranial elements of modern and fossil reference specimens. This material includes extant southern African alcelaphines and fossil materials of C. gnou, the extinct giant wildebeest, Megalotragus priscus, and North African fossil alcelaphines. The results show that cranial changes in fossil C. gnou, particularly the more forward positioning of the horns, basal inflation of the horns and the resultant re-organisation of the posterior part of the skull, preceded other skeletal modifications. These cranial changes indicate a shift towards more specialised territorial breeding behaviour in the earliest ancestral black wildebeest, evident in the specimens of the c. million year old Free State site of Cornelia-Uitzoek. Since the territorial breeding behaviour of the black wildebeest can only function in open habitat and since cranial characters associated with its territorial breeding behaviour preceded other morphological changes, it is deduced that there was a close association between the speciation of C. gnou from a C. taurinus-like ancestor and the appearance of permanently open Highveld-type grasslands in the central interior of southern Africa. This deduction is supported by the lack of trophic distinction between the modern black and blue wildebeest, suggesting that the evolution of the black wildebeest was not accompanied by an ecological shift. It is concluded that the evolution of a distinct southern endemic wildebeest in the Pleistocene was associated with, and possibly driven by, a shift towards a more specialised kind of territorial breeding behaviour, which can only funtion in open habitat. There are significant post-speciation changes in body size and limb proportions of fossil C. gnou through time. The tempo of change has not been constant and populations in the central interior underwent marked reduction in body size in the last 5000 years. Vicariance in fossil C. gnou is evident in different rates of change that are recorded in the populations of generally smaller body size that became isolated in the Cape Ecozone. These daughter populations, the result of dispersals from the central interior, became extinct at the end of the Pleistocene.