The study of fossil istiophorids is limited by its fragmentary fossil record; the absence of osteological specimens for comparisons; the cryptic bibliography of several early works and the absence of more accurate comparative methods. Appling a data imputation model we took advantages of extant data for rostral and articular variables for istiophorid billfishes. We used this result to apply PCA analysis and we compared fossil and modern istiophorids together. With this analysis we present here two new istiophorid species: Makaira? sp. nov. 1 and Makaira sp. nov. 2. Makaira? sp. nov. 1 is the most complete fossil istiophorid ever discovered and represent that share characters in various genera. We hypothesize that characters in bones involved in alimentation process have phylogenetic importance as: rostrum shape, denticles, lower jaw, vomer, basioccipital and skull shape as well as orbital size. Our taxonomic reviews of fossil istiophorid reorganize its taxonomy and solve many conflicts about the classification of fossil species. The istiophorids are abundant macrovertebrate in the Chagres sediments and its presence suggests a water column with a minimum of 200m depths in an environment of short platform with oceanic influence. Given the high productivity inferred in this environment we suggest that...

The intention with this thesis is to improve the method to assess dental wear as an age indicator by examining its correlation with the closure of cranial suture and the influence diet has on dental wear. This thesis explores this correlation through a comparative study between a collection of skulls with unknown context and a control group with known context. Age assessment of cranial sutures is one of the oldest and most questionable methods of physical anthropology. The studies that were carried out in the beginning of the 21st century have shown a useful correlation between the cranial sutures closure and age assessment. Research on food is essential for understanding a society, and dental health has always been important for wellbeing. A difference between populations today and historical populations is the dental wear that causes infections. All these premises make this research interesting to explore further, to learn more about what the teeth can tell us about historic populations.

Gotska Sandön is the Baltic ocean’s most isolated island, located approximately 40 kilometres north from the closest civilisation. Today the island serves as a national park and a tourist attraction. The remoteness has made the island a difficult place to reach both in the past and today. Yet, excavations on the island show that human activity existed long before tourists arrived.                     The study observes Gotska Sandön through a long-term perspective by examining the osteological and archaeological findings from the island. The study is part of a larger project conducted by Uppsala university and Södertörns högskola. The purpose of the study is to examine the historic human activity on the island to determine the island’s importance for humans in the past. Therefore, this paper examines all ages where human activity can be traced, resulting in a perspective from the stone age to present-time.         Results indicate human activity through different eras where the island has worked as a hunting ground as well as a place for rituals such as funeral sites. Conclusions that can be drawn from the study is that the island has had different meanings through different times, ritual such as functional. The study finds a strong connection between human activity and seal hunting throughout the ages and indicates the impact seal hunting has had for human survival.

Animal bones found on archaeological sites can be connected to the economic structures of the society and what activities the humans performed. During the Merovingian Period and the Viking Age on the island of Gotland there are several sites that have been difficult to interpret. One of these sites is Signallottan which has several finds that are connected to iron working but also a lot of cremated animal bones. The proposed study investigates how the animal bones are connected to the site and what purpose they had. The study also compares the site to other archaeological sites to see how they differ. This will be achieved by analyzing the animal remains found at the site. The material consists of roughly 56 kilograms of bones that were excavated during 2018 and is currently stored in the osteological laboratory in Visby, Sweden. This study leaves some questions open but most likely Signallottan has only had one main purpose. What this purpose is, is still unknown and needs further research.

Cremated bones from animals has been recovered in conjunction with a number of hearths in Visby, Gotland. This find has started a controversial discussion in the archeological field regarding usage of bones as a supplement in iron working. Archeological investigations often tend to overlook the information that could be gained from osteological materials. Animal bones can give us insight and contribute with new perspectives on economics, diet, livestock and much more. The aim of this bachelor is therefore to look closer at the relations between bones and iron working and to establish if the bones were used to enhance the phosphorus levels of the iron. This will be achieved by analyzing cremated bones from the archeological site Visby RAÄ 230. The material will also be compared with previous studies regarding iron working.

This master thesis aims at portraying the living and dead body in Roma monastery at the island of Gotland through archaeological and osteological analyses. The osteo-archaeological material from Roma analysed consists of two individuals from coffin burials in the chapter-house and possibly four individuals from a chamber in the cloister. The main question in this thesis is to investigate the relationship between these individuals and the understanding of the religious body in the Cistercian order, especially in respect to the Rule of Sankt Benedict. Manual and spiritual work have been two important factors in Cistercian houses, and this could be seen in the osteo-archaeological material. Through osteological analysis degenerative changes in the spine and knees of the individuals were detected. These changes indicate that the individuals were active workers during a period of their life, and thereby lived according to the Rule. By means of an isotopeanalysis and a study of the dental status it is argued that the buried individuals were omnivores. The two burials from the chapter house are interpreted as abbot burials. It is also argued that all the interments studied in terms of burial practice display a high degree of liturgical expertise within the congregation of Roma monastery. The living had a will and a need to provide physical and spiritual care for their dead in line with the Rule of Sankt Benedict. / Romaprojektet

This bachelor thesis covers two executional sites on the island of Gotland with focus on the palaepathology among the executed individuals. The aim is to see which pathological changes that occured most often and if they have any correlation between these and these individuals socioeconomic status. To achieve this the author has examined the bones from Galgberget to identify apparent pathological changes on long bones, vertebrates, maxillaries and mandibles. I have also compared the bones from Galgberget with previous analyses from the other executional site in Grötlingbo parish. The most common pathological change that became identified were osteophytes, arthritis and a couple of oral pathologies like calculus and cavities. Osteophytes and arthritis do share a comparability since they both are derived from osteoarthritis which is a denegerative joint disease. Calculus and cavities also share smiliarities, due to the fact that cavities is the first stage before it becomes calculus. No other pathological similarities were found among the two sites. Although the appearances of Schmorl’s nodes were significantly large among the bone assembly from Galgberget. Schmorl’s nodes is a vertebral lesion that may occur in all ages and have different causes. Other common pathological changes identified from Galgberget were skeletal anomalies and enthesopathies. Smiliar to Schmorls nodes, enthesopathy have different causes and often show in a relation to heavy physical work. It can be concluded that the presence of Schmorl’s nodes, skeletal anomalies, enthesopathy and osteophytes do share an equivalence with each other, when you think about how you get these pathological changes in life. With further studies regarding the material from Galgberget, the view of the people who were executed there may have a real potential to change.

Diagnosing the sex of subadult skeletal material is a difficult task for bioarchaeologists and forensic anthropologists. Metric and nonmetric techniques have been tested utilizing both fetal (Boucher 1957, Weaver 1980) and juvenile (Loth and Henneberg 2001, Weaver 1980) skeletal remains. Some metric techniques show promise in estimating the sex of juvenile skeletons, but most are found to be lacking in adequate accuracies (Holcomb and Konigsberg 1995, Weaver 1980). Nonmetric techniques have been found to be more accurate, performing better than chance (Loth and Henneberg 2001, Mittler and Sheridan 1992, Weaver 1980). This study adds to this conversation, utilizing the Hamann-Todd Osteological Collection at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, testing the accuracy of eight nonmetric traits of the subadult mandible and ilium for use in forensic investigations and bioarchaeological research. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Ecpleopus gaudichaudii Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae) distribuída pelas áreas do Domínio da Mata Atlântica brasileira, é atualmente considerada monotípica. A espécie possui uma aparente homogeneidade morfológica e carece de estudos moleculares e osteológicos na literatura. No presente estudo, faz-se uma análise aprofundada sobre a morfologia do grupo (caracteres quantitativos e qualitativos) e os padrões de variação exibidos através de sua distribuição. Também é feita uma análise das diferenças moleculares em relação ao gene mitocondrial citocromo B entre as diversas populações amostradas. E, por fim, é apresentada uma descrição óssea da espécie. São reconhecidas duas linhagens diferentes com base em uma combinação dos dados morfológicos e moleculares. Os dados moleculares apontam ainda, que a real diversidade do grupo pode ser maior do que aquela demonstrada pelos caracteres morfológicos. Para a determinação da real complexidade taxonômica do grupo faz-se necessários novos testes e estudos de novos genes que permitam uma clarificação melhor das relações entre as populações e linhagens reconhecidas. / Ecpleopus gaudichaudii (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae), distributed over areas of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Domain, is the only species allocated in the genus. Despite its apparently homogeneous morphology, morphological and molecular studies approaching the several populations througout the distribution of this species are lacking in the literature. In this study, we provide a thorough morphological analysis involving external features (quantitative and qualitative characters) and osteology of a sample including 183 specimens of Ecpleopus gaudichaudii, in order to assess the patterns of variation throughout its distribution. In addition, a preliminary analysis of molecular differences regarding mitochondrial cytochrome B gene among the populations is also provided. Two different groups are recognized based on a combination of morphological and molecular data. The molecular data also indicate that the actual diversity of the group may be greater than that shown by morphological characters. The ellucidation of the relationships among the populations, as well as of the taxonomy of the group, depends on further studies of molecular approach focusing nuclear and more mithocondrial genes. The results of these studies may provide more solid grounds to future taxonomic reformulations.

As aves Caprimulgiformes formam um grupo bastante heterogêneo morfologicamente, a despeito da superficial similaridade de plumagem e dos hábitos noturnos. A maioria das hipóteses filogenéticas atuais são incongruentes entre si quanto ao relacionamento entre as famílias que compõem a ordem, exceto quanto ao posicionamento da família Aegothelidae, considerada mais próxima da ordem Apodiformes. Devido aos conflitos entre os estudos sistemáticos dessa ordem, e do aventado relacionamento próximo de alguns de seus representantes com a ordem Apodiformes, os objetivos desse estudo foram propor uma hipótese filogenética para as ordens Caprimulgiformes e Apodiformes com base em 120 caracteres osteológicos, utilizando-se representantes das ordens Psittaciformes, Strigiformes, Coraciiformes e Trogoniformes como grupos-externos na análise. Uma única árvore mais parcimoniosa demonstrou Steatornithidae e Podargidae como sucessivamente basais dentro da ordem, irmãs das demais famílias; um alto suporte ao clado composto pelas famílias Caprimulgidae e Nyctibiidae; e o relacionamento da família Aegothelidae com os Apodiformes, indicando o parafiletismo da ordem. A variação osteológica dentro das famílias é bastante notável, e importante fonte de caracteres para análises filogenéticas. Dessa forma, são propostas hipóteses filogenéticas para as famílias Nyctibiidae (incluindo fósseis) e Caprimulgidae, com base em 37 e 112 caracteres osteológicos, respectivamente. Com relação à primeira família, o padrão de relacionamento encontrado corrobora em parte os estudos moleculares prévios, particularmente quanto à posição basal de N. bracteatus. A variação osteológica entre as espécies daquela família indica que a atual sistemática da família, na qual todas as espécies são incluídas no gênero Nyctibius, deve ser revista. Com relação à família Caprimulgidae, a hipótese filogenética baseada nos caracteres osteológicos demonstrou: o parafiletismo das subfamílias tradicionalmente reconhecidas (Eurostopodinae, Chordeilinae e Caprimulginae); a posição basal dos gêneros Lyncornis e Eurostopodus (com baixo suporte ao parafiletismo desse último); um alto suporte ao gênero Chordeiles e indicação da revalidação dos gêneros Podager e Nannochordeiles; a posição basal de Nyctiprogne, Lurocalis e Nyctidromus, sucessivamente irmãs das demais espécies; e a existência de três clados, sendo um composto por espécies sul-americanas; um por espécies sul-, centro- e norte-americanas; e outro por espécies do velho mundo. Esses resultados corroboram em parte os estudos moleculares prévios e reforçam a importância da osteologia para o estabelecimento das relações filogenéticas nessa família, assim como o observado para a família Nyctibiidae e entre as famílias que compõem a ordem Caprimulgiformes / The avian order Caprimulgiformes is a morphologically heterogeneous group, in spite of their superficial resemblance and common nocturnal habits. The majority of the recent phylogenetic hypotheses are incongruent regarding the relationships among the families that compose the order, except regarding the position of Aegothelidae, which is considered more close related to the Apodiformes than to the remaining Caprimulgiformes. Due to the conflicts among recent studies, and the relationship of this order with the Apodiform birds, the main goal of this study was to propose a phylogenetic hypothesis of the Apodiform and Caprimulgiform families based on 120 osteological characters, with representatives of the orders Psittaciformes, Strigiformes, Coraciiformes and Trogoniformes as outgroups. A single most parsimonious tree revealed: Steatornithidae and Podargidae as basal taxa, nested at the base of the clade including all caprimulgiform and apodiform families; a strong support to a clade including Nyctibiidae and Caprimulgidae; and the close link of Aegothelidae to the Apodiform families, reinforcing the paraphyly of the order as mentioned in the literature but with an unprecedented morphological support. The remarkable variation among families strongly suggests the elevation of all families to the ordinal level. The noteworthy osteological variation observed within the families is also an important source of data to shed some light on the relationships among genera and species. Therefore, I propose the first phylogenetic hypotheses for the families Nyctibiidae (including fossils) and Caprimulgidae based on 37 and 112 osteological characters, respectively. Regarding Nyctibiidae, the relationships among species corroborate to some extent the previous molecular studies, mainly concerning the basal position of N. bracteatus, and suggest that the current systematics of the family, in which all species are included in the single genus Nyctibius, must be reviewed. Regarding the family Caprimulgidae, the data revealed: the paraphyly of the traditionally recognized subfamilies (Eurostopodinae, Chordeilinae and Caprimulginae); the basal position of the genera Lyncornis and Eurostopodus (with a weak support for the paraphyly of the latter); a strong support to the genus Chordeiles and the need for revalidation of Podager and Nannochordeiles; The basal position of Nyctiprogne, Lurocalis and Nyctidromus, nested at the base of a clade including all the remaining species; and the support of three clades, one including South American species; another one including South, Central and North American species; and another including old world species. These results corroborate to some extent previous molecular studies and emphasize the importance of the use of detailed osteological characters to the elucidation of the phylogenetic relationships in this family, as observed in Nyctibiidae and also among the families that compose the order Caprimulgiformes