One Bone, Two Bones, Wet Bones, Dry Bones: Transport Potentials Under Experimental Conditions

Coard, R.

doi:10.1006/jasc.1999.0438

Cited by 78 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…In archaeological sites located in lacustrine deposits or on river margins, one of the usual questions concerns the origin of the bone assemblage and the role of water in the formation of the deposit (Bonomo and Massigoge 2004;Gutiérrez and Kaufmann 2007;Kahlke and Gaudzinski 2005;Kaufmann and Gutiérrez 2004). Fluvial effects on faunal remains and the role of water in the formation of the faunal record have been closely studied (Behrensmeyer 1975;Fernandez Jalvo and Andrews 2003;Gutierrez and Kaufmann 2007;Nasti 2005;Trapani 1998;Voorhies 1969) and it has been demonstrated that bones have different displacement potential according to size, shape, and density, and that bones behave differently if they are dry or wet and articulated or disarticulated when they contact the water (Coard 1999). The carcass located in the wet meadow in our own study had articulated elements.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Longitudinal Taphonomic Studies of Mammal Carcasses from the Rio Salado Valley, Mendoza, Argentina

Otaola

Tripaldi

2016

EBL

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Taphonomic studies aid in understanding the transition of organic matter from living contexts (the biosphere) to geological contexts (the lithosphere), and how agents and processes affect skeletal remains in the archaeological record. Archaeological research in the Atuel River valley, Mendoza, Argentina, has been carried out for several years. However, actualistic approaches to examine local and regional taphonomic processes have only been recently developed in this area. Longitudinal studies of disarticulation and dispersion of bones from carcasses are presented here in order to understand how skeletal materials are naturally added to, subtracted from, and mixed within the archaeological record. In this paper we explore variability in the influence of taphonomic processes in different microhabitats of the valley and how these mechanisms impact the potential of mixing during bone deposition in the archaeological record. There are some qualitative differences between carcasses deposited in different landforms, showing that each place has its own taphonomic history, principally influenced by the geomorphic and ecologic processes that operate in different landforms.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Longitudinal Taphonomic Studies of Mammal Carcasses from the Rio Salado Valley, Mendoza, Argentina

Otaola

Tripaldi

2016

EBL

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“…Settling of objects in a fluid is a complicated and chaotic process that depends in part on their relative density and shape and has the potential to increase scatter and introduce noise into the dislocation pattern. It is even more difficult to understand quantitatively the response of the parts of Geiseltaliellus maarius because soft tissue clearly adhered to chunks of the body (e.g., caudal vertebrae), which is known to affect the fluid-dynamic response (Coard 1999). Yet, as noted above, vertical acceleration of elements in combination with the turbidity current may explain the tendency for displacement to have occurred toward the left side of the body.…”

Section: Decay In Geiseltaliellus Maariusmentioning

confidence: 99%

From tree to shining sea: taphonomy of the arboreal lizard Geiseltaliellus maarius from Messel, Germany

Smith

Wuttke

2012

Palaeobio Palaeoenv

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Much has been written about the palaeoenvironment of the middle Eocene fossil Lagerstätte of Messel, Germany, and of the taphonomy of the vertebrates found in it, but taphonomic phenomena among the reptiles in this locality are virtually unstudied. The iguanid Geiseltaliellus maarius is the most common lizard species in Messel. We present taphonomic data for this species and analyse it. Specimens of G. maarius can be divided into three preservation classes, one of which is distinguished purely by decompositional phenomena. Most specimens sank quickly to the bottom of Lake Messel after entering it, but one floated for some time prior to emplacement. In theory, overlying pressure should not preclude the accumulation of gases of decay in submerged carcasses. In one specimen, such gases appear to have built up intracoelomically for many weeks, but did not cause the carcass to rise because of overlying water pressure. Eruption of the gases through the oral and cloacal openings, possibly initiated by a coincident turbidity current, scattered the bones of the skull, the pelvic region, and the proximal part of the tail. G. maarius had evolved a form of intervertebral urotomy (pseudoautotomy), which is indicative of arboreal habits. The waxy substance adipocere, formed after breakdown of fat, has been neglected in discussions of taphonomy, but may constitute an important factor in stabilising carcasses and enabling three-dimensional preservation before diagensis.

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“…On the other hand, the tissues may have been removed as a result of the discomposure in the water, or before the exposure to water as a result of human or animal activity, this last subject is more relevant considering the possibility of funerary contexts in coastal areas. Although it is impossible for the moment to determine which of those scenarios the correct one is the presence of tissues has an important implication in the taphonomical history of a bone [34].…”

Section: Abrasion By Marine Sedimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nevertheless, and in spite of such efforts, our understanding about the effects on submerged bones, is extremely limited [5,33]. An absolute understanding of these changes would be very valuable for generating an initial interpretation of the taphonomical history within the forensic context, although, still, it is not very clear the relationship between the taphonomical phenomena generated in immersion contexts, in one hand and the skeletal profile expected on the other hand [7][8][9]34]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Taphonomic Approach to Marine Abrasion on Human Bones

Nasti¹

2017

FRCIJ

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Coastal areas are often scenes of various phenomena linked to forensic cases, such as homicides, suicides, naval accidents linked to clandestine migration, or simply coastal sites with human remains that are affected by aquatic phenomena. It is in this context where the Taphonomy can contribute to responding to many problems within the forensic field. Our goal is to determine the morphology, density and orientation of the changes caused by the action of marine sediments on the surface of a human femur. The use of binocular loupe, have enabled a more detailed analysis of abrasion. It has been determined that abrasion traces are distributed across all surface of the bone and presented an anisotropic spatial orientation, i.e. present a non-random pattern. The results have been used to corroborate on a human bone subjected to natural phenomena, the observations carried out in the experimental field by others authors.

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One Bone, Two Bones, Wet Bones, Dry Bones: Transport Potentials Under Experimental Conditions

Cited by 78 publications

References 8 publications

Longitudinal Taphonomic Studies of Mammal Carcasses from the Rio Salado Valley, Mendoza, Argentina

Longitudinal Taphonomic Studies of Mammal Carcasses from the Rio Salado Valley, Mendoza, Argentina

From tree to shining sea: taphonomy of the arboreal lizard Geiseltaliellus maarius from Messel, Germany

A Taphonomic Approach to Marine Abrasion on Human Bones

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