Identification of working reindeer using palaeopathology and entheseal changes

Salmi, Anna‐Kaisa; Niinimäki, Sirpa; Pudas, T

doi:10.1016/j.ijpp.2020.02.001

Cited by 26 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…For a better application to the fossil record, where bone extremities of the limbs are generally well-preserved, proximal and distal parts of each element were studied separately, focusing on the anatomical parts not affected by entheseal changes and pathological lesions (Niinimäki and Salmi 2016 ; Salmi and Niinimäki 2016 ; Salmi et al 2020b ). Due to the shape of articular surfaces, trochanters or condyles being difficult to quantify using traditional landmarks and the lack of homologous anatomical structures, semilandmarks have been included on curves and surfaces to help capture the three-dimensional structure of the epiphyses (Bookstein 1997 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among most Eurasian nomadic peoples, domestic reindeer may also be used to pull and carry loads, as well as for riding (Mirov 1945 ; Nieminen and Pietilä 1998 ; Inamura 2005 ; Dwyer and Istomin 2008 ; Korhonen 2008 ; Anderson et al 2017 ). The analyses were performed on complete bones but the methodology has been adapted by focusing on the proximal and distal parts unaffected by entheseal changes and pathological lesions (Niinimäki and Salmi 2016 ; Salmi and Niinimäki 2016 ; Salmi et al 2020b ), as well as on the anatomical parts best preserved in the archaeological record in order to be complementary and directly applicable to fossil material (Owen et al 2014 ; Cornette et al 2015 ). The purpose of our study was to provide a reliable method of identifying domestic and wild individuals in modern reindeer populations from Fennoscandia, taking into account subspecies, sex and lifestyle, for an application to the archaeological contexts of the indigenous reindeer herders in Northern Eurasia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Identifying early stages of reindeer domestication in the archaeological record: a 3D morphological investigation on forelimb bones of modern populations from Fennoscandia

Pelletier

Kotiaho

Niinimäki

et al. 2020

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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Reindeer herding probably developed during the Late Iron Age onwards and is still an important part of the subsistence and culture of many peoples in northern Eurasia. However, despite the importance of this husbandry in the history of these Arctic people, the period and place of the origin as well as the spread of domestic reindeer is still highly debated. Besides the existence of different breeding methods in these territories, identifying domesticated individuals in the archaeological record is complicated because reindeers are considered to still be in the early phases of the domestication process. Indeed, the traditional morphological markers used in zooarchaeology to decipher the domestication syndrome are hardly perceptible in these early stages. In this work, we propose solutions for identifying domestic reindeer bones using 3D geometric morphometrics on isolated elements from the long bones of the forelimb (i.e. humerus, radio-ulna and metacarpal). These bones are important to understand both the feeding behaviour and the mobility of reindeer, and the potential effect of load-carrying or draught in the case of domestic reindeer. We analysed 123 modern specimens from Fennoscandia, including the two interbreeding subspecies currently present in these territories: mountain reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus tarandus ) and forest reindeer ( R.t. fennicus ); and where the sex and the lifestyle were known (i.e. free-ranging, racing or draught and captive individuals). A good level of discrimination between the size and shape variables of the bones of the forelimb was found among both subspecies and sexes. Moreover, individuals bred in captivity had smaller bone elements and a thinner and more slender morphology than free-ranging individuals. This demonstrates that the long bones of the forelimb can provide information on changes in feeding and locomotor behaviour prompted by the domestication process, like control and/or reduction of mobility and food of individual reindeer by humans. This also demonstrates that analysis in 3D geometric morphometrics is useful in detecting reindeer incipient domestication markers. Our results can be used by archaeologists to trace the early stages of domestication from fossil reindeer remains, and aid in reconstructing the socio-economic changes of past Arctic populations over time.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying early stages of reindeer domestication in the archaeological record: a 3D morphological investigation on forelimb bones of modern populations from Fennoscandia

Pelletier

Kotiaho

Niinimäki

et al. 2020

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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“…Bone shape was therefore quantified by placing a set of landmarks on the 3D models. The analyses were performed on complete bones but the methodology has been adapted by focusing on the proximal and distal parts unaffected by entheseal changes and pathological lesions (Niinimäki and Salmi 2016;Salmi and Niinimäki 2016;Salmi et al 2020b), as well as on the anatomical parts best preserved in the archaeological record in order to be complementary and directly applicable to the fossil material (Owen et al 2014;Cornette et al 2015;Pelletier et al 2020). Due to the difficulty of quantifying the shape of articular surfaces, trochanters or condyles using traditional landmarks and Unlike landmarks, semilandmarks do not have an exact anatomical correspondence on the structure of the epiphyses, and instead were allowed to slide along curves and surfaces in order to minimise the bending energy of the thin plate spline (TPS) interpolation function (Bookstein 1997;Gunz et al 2005;Gunz and Mitteroecker 2013).…”

Section: D Geometric Morphometricsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This would be due to repetitive flexion of the knee articulation, more involved during propulsion (Kappelman 1988;Curran 2012). In R.t. fennicus this may be partially explained by body mass and adaptation to the closed environments of the taiga, while in working reindeer it could imply a need for a large range of motion in the hip and knee joint (Salmi et al 2020b). However, this activity is reduced or even absent in captive individuals.…”

Section: Impact Of Selection and Archaeological Perspectives For The Identification Of Early Domesticated Reindeermentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of selection and domestication on hindlimb bones of modern reindeer populations: Archaeological implications for early reindeer management by Sámi in Fennoscandia

et al. 2021

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For centuries, reindeer herding has been an integral part of the subsistence and culture among the Sámi of northern Fennoscandia. Despite the importance of this husbandry in their history, the timing and details of early reindeer domestication are still highly debated. Indeed, identifying domesticated individuals in the archaeological record remains complicated because reindeer are still considered to be in the early phases of the domestication process. In this work, we propose solutions for identifying domestic individuals using 3D geometric morphometrics on isolated elements from the long bones of the hindlimb in modern reindeer populations. These bones are important for understanding both the mobility of reindeer and the effect of load carrying or draught. A good level of distinction between the size and shape variables of these bones was found among subspecies, sex and lifestyles. This demonstrates that the long bones of the hindlimb can provide information on changes in locomotor behaviour induced by the domestication process, such as control and reduction of reindeer mobility by humans. This also demonstrates that analysis in geometric morphometrics is useful for exploring the use of draught reindeer in early Sámi reindeer herding and the implications for understanding reindeer domestication and early reindeer herding strategies.

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“…This likely results from the fact that zoo and draught reindeer are fed and need not dig for lichen. Finally, there is more considerable bone formation at the entheses of working reindeer compared with nonworking reindeer (Salmi, Niinimäki, & Pudas, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differences in entheseal changes in the phalanges between ecotypes of Fennoscandian reindeer

Hull

Niinimäki

Salmi

2020

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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The identification and life histories of the different subspecies and ecotypes of Rangifer tarandus (reindeer) in Fennoscandia are of great interest to zooarchaeologists, as this species is a keystone animal of the North. The barrenground Rangifer tarandus tarandus has historically had closer bonds with humans as a herded and domestic animal. By contrast, the boreal Rangifer tarandus fennicus has been a prey animal with a more fraught relationship with humans. Identifying which of these ecotypes were present and interacting with humans at different points in history provides information not only of human economies and subsistence strategies but also of the life histories and behavioural patterns of the reindeer themselves. This study uses scoring of entheseal changes on the phalanges of these animals to investigate different mobility, foraging and limb-use patterns between ecotypes. Our studies found both interesting differences in hoof use patterns between R.t. tarandus and R.t. fennicus, which show that these ecotypes are both using their hooves differently, but in different patterns of forelimb versus hindlimb use.

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Identification of working reindeer using palaeopathology and entheseal changes

Cited by 26 publications

References 26 publications

Identifying early stages of reindeer domestication in the archaeological record: a 3D morphological investigation on forelimb bones of modern populations from Fennoscandia

Identifying early stages of reindeer domestication in the archaeological record: a 3D morphological investigation on forelimb bones of modern populations from Fennoscandia

Impact of selection and domestication on hindlimb bones of modern reindeer populations: Archaeological implications for early reindeer management by Sámi in Fennoscandia

Differences in entheseal changes in the phalanges between ecotypes of Fennoscandian reindeer

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