Analysis of Small Mammal Bones from the Wenas Creek Mammoth Site
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC Ballroom A
Start Date
17-5-2012
End Date
17-5-2012
Abstract
Abstract: The purpose of this project was to identify the small mammal bones recovered from the Wenas Creek Mammoth site. With the idea that once identified, the use of provenience data would enable us to determine if the animals are Pleistocene fauna or are they more recent commensal fauna. The analysis looked at 217 small mammal bones from the site. Using a faunal tabulation form designed by Dr. Lubinski, the bones were recorded and then tabulated to try to get identification down to species. Of the 217 bones analyzed 120 of them were only identifiable to taxonomic class Mammalia and size class I-II. The remaining 97 bones were identified as follows, 56 order Rodentia, 32 family Sciuridae (26 of which compare favorably to Spermophilus sp.), 7 identified to Thomomys talpoides , and 2 to the family Heteromyidae. Unfortunately, because of the depth that these species burrow I was unable to determine whether these animals are from the Pleistocene. Further analysis of the faunal remains is needed to determine age of the remains. (171)
Recommended Citation
Rennaker, Patrick, "Analysis of Small Mammal Bones from the Wenas Creek Mammoth Site" (2012). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 108.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2012/posters/108
Poster Number
35
Additional Mentoring Department
Anthropology
Analysis of Small Mammal Bones from the Wenas Creek Mammoth Site
SURC Ballroom A
Abstract: The purpose of this project was to identify the small mammal bones recovered from the Wenas Creek Mammoth site. With the idea that once identified, the use of provenience data would enable us to determine if the animals are Pleistocene fauna or are they more recent commensal fauna. The analysis looked at 217 small mammal bones from the site. Using a faunal tabulation form designed by Dr. Lubinski, the bones were recorded and then tabulated to try to get identification down to species. Of the 217 bones analyzed 120 of them were only identifiable to taxonomic class Mammalia and size class I-II. The remaining 97 bones were identified as follows, 56 order Rodentia, 32 family Sciuridae (26 of which compare favorably to Spermophilus sp.), 7 identified to Thomomys talpoides , and 2 to the family Heteromyidae. Unfortunately, because of the depth that these species burrow I was unable to determine whether these animals are from the Pleistocene. Further analysis of the faunal remains is needed to determine age of the remains. (171)
Faculty Mentor(s)
Patrick Lubinski