Morphological characteristics of preparator air-scribe marks: Implications for taphonomic research.

Taphonomic analyses of bone-surface modifications can provide key insights into past biotic involvement with animal remains, as well as elucidate the context(s) of other biostratinomic (pre-burial) processes, diagenesis, excavation, preparation and storage. Such analyses, however, first require researchers to rigorously disambiguate between continuums of damage morphologies prior to attributing individual marks to specific actors and effectors (e.g., carnivore tooth, stone tool cutting edge, etc.). To date, a number of bone-modifying agents have been identified, and criteria for identifying their traces have been published. Relatively little research, however, has focused on bone-surface modifications imparted during specimen preparation. Herein we report that air scribes, small pneumatic tools commonly used for preparation in museum contexts, can generate unintentional marks that may mimic surficial modification caused by carnivores. To aid investigators in assessing the hypothesis that a mark in question is derived from air-scribe preparation activities, we provide high-resolution, detailed morphological information imaged with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The main diagnostic characteristic of air-scribe damage is the occurrence of sequential, variously spaced, sub-millimeter scallop-like stepped bone removals. This morphology can resemble damage imparted by carnivore teeth. In contrast to marks produced by trampling, stone tools and carnivores, however, no continuous internal features, such as linear microstriations, were observed within grooves produced by the air scribe. Thus, the presence of such features can be used to disprove an air-scribe origin. A culmination of the morphological criteria presented herein, cross-cutting relationships with other surficial features (e.g., diagenetic discoloration, weathering textures), the position of occurrence, and an overall contextual framework for the assemblage is suggested for accurate identification of such traces. The ability to recognize or disprove air-scribe damage will allow researchers to confidently proceed with interpreting past biological and sedimentological interactions with animal remains.

American alligator proximal pedal phalanges resemble human finger bones: Diagnostic criteria for forensic investigators.

A scientific approach to bone and tooth identification requires analysts to pursue the goal of empirical falsification. That is, they may attribute a questioned specimen to element and taxon only after having ruled out all other possible attributions. This requires analysts to possess a thorough understanding of both human and non-human osteology, particularly so for remains that may be morphologically similar across taxa. To date, forensic anthropologists have identified several potential 'mimics' for human skeletal remains, including pig teeth and bear paws. Here we document another possible mimic for isolated human skeletal elements--the proximal pedal phalanges of American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) closely resemble the proximal and intermediate hand phalanges of adult humans. We detail morphological similarities and differences between these elements, with the goal of providing sufficient information for investigators to confidently falsify the hypothesis that a questioned phalanx is derived from an American alligator.

Earliest archaeological evidence of persistent hominin carnivory.

The emergence of lithic technology by ≈ 2.6 million years ago (Ma) is often interpreted as a correlate of increasingly recurrent hominin acquisition and consumption of animal remains. Associated faunal evidence, however, is poorly preserved prior to ≈ 1.8 Ma, limiting our understanding of early archaeological (Oldowan) hominin carnivory. Here, we detail three large well-preserved zooarchaeological assemblages from Kanjera South, Kenya. The assemblages date to 2.0 Ma, pre-dating all previously published archaeofaunas of appreciable size. At Kanjera, there is clear evidence that Oldowan hominins acquired and processed numerous, relatively complete, small ungulate carcasses. Moreover, they had at least occasional access to the fleshed remains of larger, wildebeest-sized animals. The overall record of hominin activities is consistent through the stratified sequence - spanning hundreds to thousands of years - and provides the earliest archaeological evidence of sustained hominin involvement with fleshed animal remains (i.e., persistent carnivory), a foraging adaptation central to many models of hominin evolution.