MicroCT imaging of canid diaphyses: bone ontogeny from a zooarchaeological and digital perspective

Authors

  • Francesco Boschin Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell’Ambiente, UR Preistoria e Antropologia, Università degli Studi di Siena, 55 Banchi di Sotto, 53100, Siena, AND Centro Studi sul Quaternario ODV, Via Nuova dell’Ammazzatoio 7, 52037 Sansepolcro (AR)
  • Federico Bernardini Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Università Ca’ Foscari, Venezia , Malcanton Marcorà , Dorsoduro 3484/D, Calle Contarini, 30123 Venezia AND Multidisciplinary Laboratory, The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Strada Costiera 11, 34151 Trieste

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21014/actaimeko.v12i3.1476

Keywords:

MicroCT, Zooarchaeology, Domestication, Red fox, Wolf, Bone Ontogeny

Abstract

X-ray microCT offers the possibility of studying the internal structure of animal remains by detecting age-related changes in bone microstructure. In the present work, we analyse developmental patterns of the diaphyseal structure in canids. In particular, the first metacarpal of current and archaeological individuals of red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and wolf (Canis lupus) was analysed. Variables describing bone structure were measured by inferring bone development through the observation of cross-sections. The results show how bone structure changes over the course of a lifetime and how this approach makes it possible to separate young and older individuals. This is important from a zooarchaeological point of view to estimate the age at death of fragmentary animal remains and to discriminate taxa characterised by similar morphology but different adult body size using a non-destructive approach.

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Published

2023-09-25

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 3 (2023)

Section

Research Papers

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Francesco Boschin, Federico Bernardini

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