Dear Zooarchers,
For those of you following this thread - it seems that tree calipers
www.forestry-suppliers.com are the largest available but most folk agree that
for such large measurements the precision needed can be answered by the use of
rather 'low tech' measuring boxes and tapes/string.
As Simon Davies pointed out (thanks again) as far as accuracy is concerned, for
most purposes in biology, you need a percentage accuracy of 0.1% at the most. In
fact 1% will probably be fine.
That means if you are measuring the length of a whale bone of about a metre, you
only need to ascertain its length to the nearest centimetre, or if you really
want to be super accurate, 1 millimetre.
Additionally, I have been contacted by people who have worked extensively with
cetacea in the Arctic and are in the process of producing a paper on useful
measurements.
So thanks to all Zooarchers again, as always I get fast, sensible, friendly and
supportive advice.
jacqui
Jacqui Mulville
Lecturer in Bioarchaeology
School of History and Archaeology
Cardiff University
Cardiff
CF10 3XU
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