Taphonomy of bones remains from pellets of Coragyps atratus (black vulture) in the northwest of the argentinian Patagonia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31048/1852.4826.v5.n1.9141Keywords:
coragyps atratus, taphonomy, carrion, zooarchaeologyAbstract
There are several actualistic taphonomic studies regarding different species of birds of prey. However, the studies focus on scavenger birds have been scarcely considered in Argentina, despite the fact that they play a fundamental role in the alteration and transportation of carcasses. A peculiar characteristic of Coragyps atratus (black vulture) is that it builds communal roosts near places where human activities are developed and it feeds on animals of varying size, which may interfere with the formation of archaeological sites. The aim of this study is to perform a taphonomic analysis of the bones remains retrieved from pellets of C. atratus in the Northwest of Patagonia, with the purpose of creating tools that allow the identification of these birds as possible accumulator agents. 469 pellets, distributed in the three roosts of the patagonic norhtwest, were gathered. The elements retrieved were identified and the degrees of alterations caused by gastric acids were evaluated. Lepus europaeus and Ovis aries predominate in the samples. The main elements belong to the articular bones, mainly phalanges. They all show signs of digestion, from surface porosities to perforations and fractures, and in the case of several phalanges, the disappearance of marrow, denoting differences regarding the size of the ingested preyDownloads
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