This thesis builds a demographic profile of the Northern Fur Seal (NFS) population being consumed at DfSi-4 and DfSj-23 to determine if a NFS rookery existed within close proximity to both sites. A demographic profile of the death assemblages found at each site was built using visual identification, a non-linear growth curve algorithm developed by Michael Etnier (2002) and ancient DNA analysis. This study uses the demographic profile to evaluate the existence of a NFS rookery within the Barkley Sound area. Ultimately the existence of a rookery depends on demonstrating the existence of four age categories: fetal/newborn, juvenile, adult and adult male. Results indicate that a rookery likely existed near DfSj-24A, but there is much less certainty for DfSi-4. Further inquiry is now possible into the economic and ecological relationships that existed between the Toquaht and the NFS within the Barkley Sound area. / February 2016

A seasonal survey of the distribution of terrestrial tardigrades on Dugger Mountain, Alabama, was conducted during the time period from April 1997 through April 1998. Cryptogams from five trees (Quercus alba), three on north-facing slopes and two on south-facing slopes, were sampled seasonally at three stations (645 m, 410 m, 183 m) along an unnamed tributary of the South Fork of Terrapin Creek. Trees were chosen based on their location outside the riparian zone. Tardigrades were extracted from the samples, mounted individually in Hoyer's medium, and identified to species with phase microscopy. Seasonal and altitudinal variations in the distribution of the populations on the north- and south-facing slopes were determined. Present on Dugger Mountain were tardigrades belonging to 12 species (Macrobiotus cf. areolatus/tonollii, Macrobiotus cf. echinogenitus, Macrobiotus islandicus, Macrobiotus richtersi, Minibiotus intermedius, Milnesium tardigradum, Diphascon pingue, Hypsibius pallidus, Echiniscus cf. arctomys. Echiniscus virginicus, Pseudechiniscus ramazzottii, and Pseudechiniscus suillus). Due to the small numbers of individuals of each species, the total numbers of tardigrades of all species were pooled. There were no significant differences in the mean number of species or the mean number of all tardigrades per sample at each station (altitude). However, seasonal differences in both abundance and number of species were detected in pooled samples due to the high numbers collected in spring 1997.

No / Excavation of the Schöningen lignite mine in Germany produced the earliest examples of hunting spears to date, and a large assemblage of anthropogenically fragmented faunal remains deposited in anaerobic lacustrine silt sediments during the Middle Pleistocene. The exceptional preservation of the assemblage makes the site of prime importance to our understanding of the behavioural, social and economic patterns of hominins in the Lower Palaeolithic of the Middle Pleistocene in Europe. This chapter describes the digital refitting analysis, part of the AHRC-funded Fragmented Heritage project, undertaken to address the logistical challenge posed by manually comparing individual bone fragments within the assemblage to identify refitting sequences. This logistical refit challenge uses the Schöningen assemblage to investigate the effectiveness of a digital refit approach to the analysis of large faunal assemblages. We describe the process from digitisation of the bone fragments by macro structured light scanning, digital segmentation of refitting surfaces, and digital comparison of the refitting and non-refitting surfaces to produce statistical matches. We discuss how taphonomic data can be visualised from the analysis and can be used to inform interpretation of the taphonomic histories of these faunal remains and the human behaviours associated with the formation of this unique assemblage. / The research was funded through an AHRC doctoral award as part of the AHRC Digital Transformations funded Theme Large Grant Fragmented Heritage (AH/L00688X/1) and through in-kind contributions from MONREPOS.

<p> Bioherm growth within the Edgecliff Member of the Onondaga Formation in the vicinity of Port Colborne, Ontario is represented by a broad low-lying coralliferous mound, trending approximately north-south. The mound displays a progressive pattern of faunal and lithologic succession which can be broken down into four stages. The Basal and Coral-Rich Basal Facies represents deposition in a shallow to deep shelf lagoon, below fair weather wave base and above storm wave base. Stage I of mound development is initiated in response to a slight regression near the top of these facies, corresponding to the deposition of the Transitional Facies, a shoaling upwards sequence reaching above the surrounding substrate. stage II is represented by the colonization and stabilization of the mound by solitary and colonial corals within fair weather wave base. Stage III results in the diversification of the mound upwards into a high energy zone, corresponding to the deposition of the Core Facies. At this time, sea-level remains stable and intermound areas are filled in by the Biostrome, Flank, and Flank/Cap Facies. The final stage, Stage IV represents the termination of mound growth by deposition of a crinoidal cap due to, either a fall in sea-level, or growth of the mound into the surf zone.</p> <p> The inferred paleocurrent direction from facies relationships, and a measured coral orientation, suggest currents direction from the southeast to northwest.</p> <p> Thus, the Edgecliff Member of the Onondaga Formation in the vicinity of Port Colborne, Ontario represents deposition in a shallow shelf lagoon, and displays evidence for two possible sea-level fluctuations; one near the top of the Basal and Coral-Rich Basal Facies, and the second corresponding the Flank/Cap and Cap Facies, terminating mound development.</p> / Thesis / Bachelor of Science (BSc)

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In recent years, causewayed enclosures have come to be regarded as being ceremonial or ritual sites. This classification is derived from a perceived lack of evidence pertaining to domestic settlement, in the form of houses and 'typical' domestic animal bone assemblages, and a perceived abundance of 'atypical' material and methods of deposition. This thesis explores the animal bone from the Etton causewayed enclosure in order to ascertain whether these perceptions have an empirical basis. Etton was excavated in the 1980s, and the published literature relating to the site appeared to conform to the stereotypes established for causewayed enclosure sites, however during preliminary analysis, it became clear that the animal bone data was not complete and that many of the inferences regarding the role of animals at Etton were the result of presumption or data being taken out of context. Specifically, this thesis looks at the nature of the fractures on the animal bones from Etton, and also from a similar causewayed enclosure at Staines in order to establish a clear taphonomic history for the faunal remains on the site, from which aspects of the role of animals can be deduced. In archaeological literature the absence of 'fresh', or helical fractures (which tend to result from the conscious decision to break a bone for marrow) is said to support the hypothesis that sites of this type were not domestic in nature. This assertion has been made despite the fact that no detailed studies into bone fracture at Neolithic sites have ever been undertaken. This thesis demonstrates that at both Etton and Staines, fresh fractures were abundant and considers the potential implications of this for these sites. In so doing it highlights the dangers of presuming evidence exists or does not exist, and of cherry-picking data to fit a preordained ideal rather than allowing the data to speak for itself. At Etton and Staines, the animal bone speaks not necessarily of a categorically ceremonial or ritual economy, divorced from the domestic economy of the time, but of a more mundane economy, with occasional 'atypical' activity, that was standard for the inhabitants of causewayed enclosures, whether at this type of site or elsewhere.

No presente trabalho, investigamos a associação entre a fauna de macroinvertebrados e o folhiço em riachos de montanha da região sul do Estado de São Paulo. Os principais objetivos da tese foram: caracterizar o folhiço e a fauna de macroinvertebrados associada em mesohábitats de remanso e de corredeira (Capítulo 1); testar os efeitos das características das folhas sobre o seu processamento e sobre a fauna de macroinvertebrados aquáticos (Capítulo 2); acompanhar o processo de degradação de folhas de espécies vegetais com diferentes características físicas (resistência foliar) e químicas (conteúdo de fenóis totais), bem como estudar a sua colonização pela fauna de macroinvertebrados (Capítulo 3). A densidade, riqueza padronizada de táxons e composição faunística de macroinvertebrados associados ao folhiço apresentaram variação entre remanso e corredeira, porém esta relação esteve condicionada ao tamanho do riacho. Os compostos fenólicos e a resistência foliar isoladamente não influenciaram a degradação do folhiço, e não houve efeito da riqueza de espécies vegetais sobre a perda de massa foliar. A densidade, riqueza padronizada e composição faunística de macroinvertebrados não foram influenciadas pelas características estruturais e químicas iniciais das plantas; possivelmente, outras características químicas das espécies vegetais que não foram consideradas no presente trabalho podem ter sido mais importantes para explicar estes componentes da fauna. Houve um aumento da densidade de macroinvertebrados ao longo do tempo, no entanto, a densidade não foi afetada pela espécie vegetal. A riqueza não foi afetada por nenhum dos dois fatores. Por outro lado, foi possível observar um forte gradiente de composição faunística ao longo do tempo, o qual foi dependente do tipo de folha. / In this work we investigated the link between the macroinvertebrate fauna and litter detritus in forested mountain streams, in the southern São Paulo State. The main goals of this thesis were: to describe litter detritus and its associated macroinvertebrate fauna in riffles and pools (Chapter 1); to test the effects of leaf properties on litter processing and on the aquatic macroinvertebrate fauna (Chapter 2); to follow the processing of litter from plant species with different structural (leaf toughness) and chemical (total phenolic compounds) features, as well as the colonization by macroinvertebrates fauna (Chapter 3). Density, standardized taxonomic richness and faunal composition of macroinvertebrates found in litter showed variation between riffles and pools, although this relationship was subject to stream size. Phenolic compounds and leaf toughness alone did not influence litter decomposition, and no effect of leaf species diversity was found for leaf mass loss. Density, standardized taxonomic richness and faunal composition of macroinvertebrates were not affected by structural or chemical features of the litter; it is likely that other chemical aspects of the leaves might have played a more important role. We observed an increase in macroinvertebrate density throughout time, however, density was not dependent of leaf species. Taxonomic richness was not affected either by time or plant species. On the other hand, we observed a strong gradient for faunal composition along time, and this association showed an interaction with leaf species.

This analysis of faunal bones from Wolf Village focuses on large game and its utility, as evidenced by what is known as the modified general utility index (MGUI). The MGUI proposes that bones at sites reflect transportation and butchering choices made by hunters at kill-butchering sites. According to the assumptions associated with the MGUI, hunters should select animal portions with high food value. The MGUI has been used in Fremont archaeology to provide a rough measure of site function. The expectation is that faunal bones would accompany the prized cuts of large game meat at habitation sites – and the animal parts with little food value would remain at kill-butchering sites because they are not worth the cost to carry them to the village. My analysis of large game animal bones found in excavations at Wolf Village counter these expectations. Fremont hunters at Wolf Village were returning to the site with low-caloric portions of large game, at least part of the time. Results from strontium isotope analysis suggest that many of the large game individuals hunted by the Fremont were not local to the immediate area. This suggests that hunters saw utility in low-caloric elements not related only to food value. Some low-caloric skeletal elements were used by the Fremont to construct bone tools and other objects, and as possible symbolic objects used in abandonment rituals. The results of this research suggests that the MGUI is not appropriate for measuring the utility of animal portions to the Fremont. Only when considering the social and non-caloric economic reasons for transporting low caloric elements, can archaeologists discover the true utility of large game animal parts to Fremont hunters.