<p>The bark from prehistory – an osteological analysis on dog bones from the Stone Age settlements of Hemmor and Gullrum at Gotland and a theoretic study of the secular and sacred roles of the dog during the Neolithic.</p><p>Dog bones from two Pitted Ware Culture (around 2500 BC) settlements, Hemmor in När parish and Gullrum in Näs parish/Havdhem parish, at southern Gotland, Sweden are analyzed. The analysis contains a study of age, withers height and size estimation as well as skeletal changes and pathologies. The attempt of the analysis is to highlight the secular and sacred role of the dog during the Neolithic at Gotland. The dog bones were collected during excavations in the years 1890 and 1903 and were found across the entire surfaces of the settlements.</p><p>Although there were no specific dog breeds during the Stone Age, the dogs at Hemmor and Gullrum show a wide range of size (withers height spans from 39,74 cm to 56,47 cm) and may therefore have been used for different purposes depending on their size. The dogs were not eaten, but evidence of skinning is found. The results are compared with other analysis made on dog bones from similar settlements.</p><p>The analysis is complemented with a theoretic study of the functions of dogs in other parts of the world. Ethnologic studies of traditional societies show the importance and wide range of functions in which the dogs are used and can give us an idea of the corresponding functions at a Neolithic Gotland. The functions vary from pet and guardian of the settlement to fishing, hunting and ritual purposes.</p>

This scientific essay contains an interpretation of injuries caused by weapons and traumas on the bones from the execution site Galgberget in Visby, Gotland. The site was used from about the 13th century to 1845 AD. The purpose is to examine the injuries and describe them, also to investigate what may have generated them. An important question is what bodily position the individuals had at the time of the injury. The methods presented in this essay can be associated with experimental osteology, also the basic methods such as sex- age- and stature- assessment has been applied where’s possible. Microscopic analysis, measurements and literature studies has been carried out. To supplement the visual analysis, X-ray has been performed by medical doctor Staffan Jennerholm at Visby Hospital.The individuals from the site has relatively few injuries that consistent with executions. Some of them show traces of what may come from some sort of battle, fractures has also been investigated. This essey primarily deals with the injuries from an execution approach, parallels are also drawn to the battle of 1361 on Gotland when Valdemar Atterdag marched into the island. The small number of decapitation injuries may be due to that hanging was the primary method of execution. The reason can also be that the affected bones are still buried at the site since only approximately 20 % of the area is excavated.

The bark from prehistory – an osteological analysis on dog bones from the Stone Age settlements of Hemmor and Gullrum at Gotland and a theoretic study of the secular and sacred roles of the dog during the Neolithic. Dog bones from two Pitted Ware Culture (around 2500 BC) settlements, Hemmor in När parish and Gullrum in Näs parish/Havdhem parish, at southern Gotland, Sweden are analyzed. The analysis contains a study of age, withers height and size estimation as well as skeletal changes and pathologies. The attempt of the analysis is to highlight the secular and sacred role of the dog during the Neolithic at Gotland. The dog bones were collected during excavations in the years 1890 and 1903 and were found across the entire surfaces of the settlements. Although there were no specific dog breeds during the Stone Age, the dogs at Hemmor and Gullrum show a wide range of size (withers height spans from 39,74 cm to 56,47 cm) and may therefore have been used for different purposes depending on their size. The dogs were not eaten, but evidence of skinning is found. The results are compared with other analysis made on dog bones from similar settlements. The analysis is complemented with a theoretic study of the functions of dogs in other parts of the world. Ethnologic studies of traditional societies show the importance and wide range of functions in which the dogs are used and can give us an idea of the corresponding functions at a Neolithic Gotland. The functions vary from pet and guardian of the settlement to fishing, hunting and ritual purposes.

No description available.

During the excavations of the City Park in Kalmar, Kalmar municipality, Småland, Sweden, in 2006 a quantity of approximately 100 kg of animal bones was excavated from the medieval settlement and harbour structures. These animal bones have been analysed and the results of the analysis will be discussed in the following paper. The purpose of the study was to identify what species is found and which parts of the body is represented in order to figure out the use and consumption of animals in the medieval city.  In the analysis several osteological methods- among these; age determination, sex determination and estimation of height have been used in order to compare the material from Kalmar to analysed osteological materials from other parts of Sweden. The result of the analysis showed the following species: cattle, sheep, goat, pig, horse, dog, cat, rat, hare, unspecified bird and unspecified fish. A pattern has been found in the location of different types of material indicating one building that was burnt down while storing several joints of meat, including for example spare ribs. In the area around the harbour several bones from phalanges and the cranial parts of cattle was identified, indicating an area of butchering or tannery activities.

A família Rallidae é representada por aves cosmopolitas popularmente conhecidas como saracuras, sanãs, carquejas, galinhas-d`água e frangos-d`água. Compreende cerca de 135 espécies distribuídas em 33 gêneros, dos quais 13 são monotípicos. As relações filogenéticas baseadas em caracteres morfológicos e dados moleculares indicam diferentes afinidades entre os membros da família, principalmente na posição dos gêneros Rallus, Porphyrio, Gallinula e Fulica. Neste estudo, focado em espécies Neotropicais da família, uma nova análise filogenética baseada em caracteres osteológicos é proposta. Uma amostra de 100 esqueletos de 13 gêneros e 31 espécies foi analisada. No total 50 caracteres foram codificados, dos quais 17 são cranianos e 33 pós-cranianos para a construção de uma matriz e subseqüente análise filogenética de acordo com o princípio da parcimônia. Foram calculados árvores de consenso estrito e consenso de maioria. A primeira gerou 151 árvores igualmente parcimoniosas com 99 passos. A análise com método de pesagem sucessiva dos caracteres obteve melhores resoluções entre as espécies amostradas. A topologia do cladograma permite a validade de determinados gêneros como entidades monofiléticas, como Rallus, Porphyrio, Aramides, Gallinula e Fulica. O posicionamento de Porphyrio como um ramo basal dentro da subfamília Rallinae foi suportado e suas relações interespecíficas demonstram que as espécies do Novo mundo são mais proximamente relacionadas do que P. porphyrio, permitindo a inclusão taxonômica de Porphyrula. A relação próxima entre as espécies do gênero Gallinula e Fulica foi corroborada, no entanto, G. melanops é um ramo basal do clado que inclui as espécies de Fulica, indicando que uma mudança taxonômica é necessária. A relação entre as espécies de Rallus e Pardirallus é distante e não suporta a inclusão das espécies de Pardirallus em Rallus. As maiores discordâncias da filogenia proposta em comparação com estudos moleculares referem-se à posição interna dos membros de Porphyrio e suas relações com outros gêneros / The family Rallidae is represented by cosmopolitan birds commonly known as wood-rails, crakes, coots, gallinules and swamp hens. It comprises around 135 species, distributed in 33 genera, of which 13 are monotypics. The phylogenetic relationships based on morphological characters and molecular parameters indicate different affinities among family species, mainly the position of the genera Rallus, Porphyrio, Gallinula and Fulica. In this study, focused on the Neotropical species of the family, a new phylogenetic analysis based on osteological characters is proposed. A sample of 100 skeletons of 13 genera and 31 species was analyzed. A total of 50 characters was codified, of which 17 were cranial and 33 post-cranial to provide a matrix construction and a subsequent phylogenetic analysis according to the principle of parsimony. A strict consensus and a majority rule consensus tree were calculated. The former generated 151 equally parsimonious trees with 99 steps. The successive weighting approach analyses of characters obtained better resolutions around the sampled species. The cladogram topology allows the acceptance of some genera as valid monophyletic groups, such as Rallus, Porphyrio, Aramides, Gallinula and Fulica. The position of Porphyrio as a basal branch within the subfamily Rallinae was supported and the interspecific relationships show that New World species were more closely related than P. porphyrio, allowing the taxonomic inclusion of Porphyrula. The close relationship between the species of Gallinula and Fulica was corroborated, but G. melanops is a basal branch of a clade that includes Fulica species, indicating that a taxonomic change is needed. The relationship of Rallus and Pardirallus is distant and so does not support the inclusion of Pardirallus species in Rallus. The major discordances of the proposed phylogeny in comparison with molecular studies concern the internal position of the Porphyrio members and their relationships with other genera.

Embora os escamados sejam comumente encontrados em sítios fossilíferos cenozóicos sul&minus;americanos, materiais esqueléticos completos são raros. Apenas alguns poucos exemplares assim foram registrados, com a maioria dos achados representando materiais fragmentários de crânio e mandíbulas ou vértebras isoladas. Dentre as localidades provedoras de vertebrados fósseis na América do Sul, a Formação Chichínales se destaca pela recente descoberta, em seus sedimentos, de um crânio quase completo de um lagarto teiídeo previamente desconhecido. Dada a fauna associada, a idade da formação é definida como Mioceno Temprano (Colhuehuapense). No presente estudo, conclui&minus;se, através de uma análise filogenética contendo 39 espécies viventes e fósseis de escamados e 149 caracteres osteológicos, que este material pertence a uma nova espécie do gênero contemporâneo Callopistes. Uma descrição morfológica detalhada do fóssil, obtida através de análises estereoscópicas e de microtomografia computadorizada de alta resolução (CT Scan), também é apresentada. A matriz morfológica foi analisada com o auxílio do software TNT Versão 1.1, seguindo o princípio de máxima parcimônia, com todos os caracteres tratados com a mesma pesagem, resultando em quatro árvores igualmente parcimoniosas, que foram então utilizadas para a construção de uma árvore de consenso estrito. Em todas as quatro árvores, o novo táxon posicionou&minus;se dentro da família Teiidae como um membro do clado formado pelas demais espécies viventes de Callopistes. Entretanto, não foi possível estabelecer uma relação de grupo&minus;irmão inequívoca entre as duas espécies de Callopistes presentes na análise e o fóssil. A atual distribuição das duas espécies viventes de Callopistes e a localidade de onde foi recuperado o fóssil em estudo indicam que esse gênero possuía uma distribuição muito mais ampla no passado, chegando a áreas patagônicas cis&minus;Andinas, diferentemente das áreas trans&minus;Andinas de altitude onde as duas espécies atuais estão restritas / Although squamates are commonly found in most Caenozoic south american fossil beds, complete skeletal materials are rare. Only a few examples exist, with most findings representing fragmentary cranial or jaw materials or isolated vertebrae. Among the known South American vertebrate fossil localities, the Chichínales formation rendered recently a mostly complete skull of a previously unknown teiid lizard. Given the associated fauna, the age of the formation is defined as Early Miocene (Colhuehuapense). Here, I show that this fossil represents a new species of the extant genus Callopistes through a phylogenetic analysis of extant and extinct squamates that includes 39 taxa and 149 osteological characters. I also provide a detailed description of the new fossil teiid based on both stereoscopical and high-resolution X&minus;ray computed tomography (CT Scan) analyses. The data matrix was analyzed performing a equally weighted parsimony analysis using the software TNT Version 1.1 that resulted in four equally most parsimonius trees, which were then used to built a strict consensus tree. In all four trees, the fossil lizard was recovered within the Callopistes lineage, nested inside the family Teiidae. Nevertheless, I was unable to establish which of the two Callopistes species present in the analysis were more closely related to the fossil. The present distribution of the two extant species of Callopistes and the locality from where the fossil was recovered indicate that this genus had a much broader distribution in the past, reaching cis&minus;Andean areas of Patagonia, apart from the trans&minus;Andean areas where the two extant species are restricted

Os gaviões buteoninos são aves pertencentes à família Accipitridae de distribuição cosmopolita, mas predominante na região Neotropical. Nas classificações mais tradicionais, os buteoninos incluem os gêneros Buteo, Busarellus, Buteogallus, Geranoaetus, Geranospiza, Harpyhaliaetus, Leucopternis e Parabuteo. Recentemente, dados moleculares agregaram a este subgrupo os gêneros Ictinia e Rosthramus, historicamente considerados como pertencentes a outro subgrupo da família, popularmente conhecido como kites. Neste trabalho, foi realizado um estudo da anatomia comparada do esqueleto craniano de representantes da família Accipitridae e, entre eles, amostrados os táxons historicamente relacionados aos buteoninos. Para tanto, foram analisados 98 esqueletos cranianos, totalizando 45 espécies de representantes da ordem Falconiformes, sendo selecionadas 34 como espécies terminais para as análises filogenéticas. Foram codificados 59 caracteres do esqueleto craniano para a construção da matriz, sendo esta posteriormente submetida à análise filogenética e otimização dos caracteres, de acordo com o princípio da parcimônia. Foram calculados diagramas de consenso estrito e de maioria e, em uma análise adicional, foram realizados procedimentos de ponderação sucessiva dos caracteres. Os resultados permitem o reconhecimento da subfamília Buteoninae sustentada por quatro sinapomorfias e composta pelos gêneros: Buteo, Geranoaetus, Buteogallus, Harpyhaliaetus Leucopternis e Parabuteo. Dessa maneira, o resultado aqui obtido é parcialmente discordante da maioria dos estudos moleculares sobre o grupo, uma vez que os gêneros Ictinia, Rosthramus e Geranospiza não aparecem como componentes deste clado, enquanto o gênero Busarellus mostra-se como o táxon mais basal do componente irmão de Buteoninae. / The buteonine hawks are members of the family Accipitridae with a worldwide distribution but mainly restricted to the Neotropics. Traditionally, the buteonine group has included the genera Buteo, Busarellus, Buteogallus, Geranoaetus, Geranospiza, Harpyhaliaetus, Leucopternis and Parabuteo. Recently, molecular data has indicated that two other genera, Ictinia and Rosthramus, should be incorporated in this subgroup, although historically these have been treated as representative of another family subgroup, commonly known as kites. A comparative anatomical study was made on the cranial skeleton of representatives of the family Accipitridae, including those taxa historically related to the buteonine hawks. A sample of 98 cranial skeletons of 45 species representative of the order Falconiformes was analysed, and 34 of these were selected as terminal species in the phylogenetic analyses. A total of 59 characters were used to construct a data matrix which was submitted to a phylogenetic analysis and character optimization according to the principle of parsimony. Strict and majority rule consensus trees were calculated, and in an additional analysis, successive weighting approaches were conducted. The results permit the recognition of the subfamily Buteoninae supported by four synapomorphies and comprising the genera: Buteo, Geranoaetus, Buteogallus, Harpyhaliaetus Leucopternis and Parabuteo. However, the analysis does not fully support the relationships indicated by the molecular data for the group, since the genera Ictinia, Rosthramus and also Geranospiza are excluded from this clade, while the genus Busarellus appears as the most basal taxon of the sister group to the Buteoninae.

This study applies a life history approach to analyzing the identities of 52 Maya individuals who lived between 2000 BC and AD 900 in and around the city of Holmul, within the Petén region of Guatemala. Primary goals were to: (1) identify migrant and local individuals within the urban population; (2) determine 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratio signatures for the sites of Holmul, Cival, La Sufricaya, K’o, and Hamontun; (3) compile osteobiographies, personal life histories revealed through skeletal remains, of the individuals in the sample; and (4) evaluate evidence bearing on the identities of inhabitants of the Holmul region and how they were represented within economic, political, and cultural landscapes of the ancient Maya. This work demonstrates how bioarchaeologists can implement osteobiographical analyses to advance the understanding of multifaceted social identities and individual experiences of life and death. By integrating osteological study, stable isotope analysis, and consideration of mortuary context, material culture, inscriptions, and monumental architecture, the individual, rather than the population, becomes the focus. This aggregate approach allows for an in-depth consideration of human remains as former social beings with complex identities. The findings of this research suggest that most elite inhabitants in this ancient Maya city were local to the Holmul region, with the few outliers having originated from elsewhere in the Maya lowlands. This conclusion aligns with Maya elite ideologies of establishing lineages and reinforcing power through ancestor veneration. The local 87Sr/86Sr ratio signature of the Holmul region is comparable to other archaeological sites in the southern Maya lowlands. The osteobiographies reveal life histories, which personalize prior interpretations that considered the population only as an aggregate. This project also elucidates identities of sacrificed children, elite/royal women, and the local Holmul elite. Results of the study support the use of the isotopic analysis of human remains as an essential tool for approaching complex archaeological questions and evaluating hypotheses previously addressed primarily using architectural, iconographic, and artifactual evidence. Further, this study demonstrates the benefit of the isotopic analysis of dental enamel, especially in the Maya region and other environments characterized by difficult excavation conditions and the poor preservation of human remains.

O gênero Aratinga Spix, 1824 tradicionalmente inclui 21 espécies de periquitos neotropicais que ocorrem desde o Centro até o extremo Sul da América, caracterizados por cauda comprida, pontiaguda e plumagem predominantemente verde. Vários autores têm questionado o monofiletismo do gênero primariamente com base nos resultados de estudos moleculares. Silveira et al. (2005) e Remsen et al. (2013) foram os primeiros a sugerir uma divisão do gênero baseada na análise de plumagem. No presente estudo apresentamos pela primeira vez uma revisão taxonômica completa e uma hipótese filogenética para o gênero Aratinga sensu Peters (1937) com base em caracteres osteológicos e de plumagem. Além disso, as hipóteses filogenéticas com base na morfologia foram comparadas com os resultados dos estudos moleculares. Após a revisão taxonômica, 37 taxóns, em contraste com as 21 espécies anteriormente reconhecidas, foram considerados espécies filogenéticas sem ambiguidade e usados como táxons terminais na análise filogenética. O gênero Aratinga sensu Peters (1937), com base na morfologia, foi dividido em quatro gêneros distintos, Aratinga, Eupsittula, Thectocercus e Psittacara. A análise com base em caracteres unicamente osteológicos não conseguiu recuperar as relações entre os quatro gêneros propostos após a revisão taxonômica, enquanto a análise com caracteres de plumagem resultou em uma resolução um pouco melhor, recuperando o monofiletismo de Eupsittula. Por fim, a combinação de conjuntos de dados melhorou a resolução, recuperando o monofiletismo de Thectocercus e Eupsittula e confirmando a relação próxima de C. carolinensis com o gênero Aratinga. No geral, tal como sugerido pela revisão taxonômica e por estudos moleculares, os caracteres morfológicos não suportam o monofiletismo do gênero. / The genus Aratinga Spix, 1824 traditionally includes 21 species of neotropical parakeets that range from Central to the extreme South of America, characterized by long, pointed tail and mostly green plumage. Several authors have questioned the monophyly of the genus mainly based on results of molecular studies. Silveira et al. (2005) and Remsen et al. (2013) first suggested a splitting of the genus based on plumage analysis. This study proposes, for the first time, a complete taxonomic revision and a phylogenetic hypothesis for the genus Aratinga based on osteological and plumage characters. Moreover, resulting phylogenetic hypotheses based on morphology were compared with molecular studies findings. Based on the analysis of morphology, 37 taxa, in opposition to the 21 traditionally recognized, could be unambiguously diagnosed and were used as terminal taxa in the phylogenetic analysis. The genus Aratinga sensu Peters (1937) was split into four distinct genera: Aratinga, Eupsittula, Thectocercus and Psittacara. Osteological characters alone failed to recover the relationships among the four genera proposed after the taxonomic revision, whereas plumage characters resulted in a slightly better resolution, recovering the monophyly of Eupsittula. Combining datasets improved resolution, recovering the monophyly of Thectocercus and Eupsittula, and confirming the close relationship of C. carolinensis with the genus Aratinga. Overall, as suggested by the taxonomic revision and molecular studies, morphological characters do not support the monophyly of the genus.