Dr. Deb may be on to something here. Are you sure it is a fowl? You didn't say where the site was located, but flightless seabirds, such as penguins, often have the same condition, resulting in a very narrow marrow cavity (and sometimes none at all). I have never inspected a broken great auk tibiotarsus, but I would suspect a similar structure, and they were widely distributed along North Atlantic coasts in Europe.
---
Matthew Betts, Ph.D.
Conservateur, Archéologie des Provinces de l'Atlantique
Société du Musée Canadien des Civilisations
Curator, Atlantic Provinces Archaeology
Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation
100, rue Laurier Street, Gatineau, QC K1A 0M8
Tél.: 819 776-8419 Fax: 819 776-8300
-----Original Message-----
From: Analysis of animal remains from archaeological sites [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of [log in to unmask]
Sent: November 19, 2010 2:55 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ZOOARCH] Pathological fowl tibiotarsus
It occurs to me that, odd though it might sound, a quick check against a
walrus bone (say a metatarsal or a femur) might be profitable. For the
walrus is a mammal that normally develops the normally-abnormal condition
of pachyostosis (i.e. so that the blubbery bottom-feeder can manage to be
negatively buoyant). We probably all know some blubbery bottom-feeders who
live on couches during football season, but the walrus' bones might
compare to this patho chicken. Cheers -- Dr. Deb
> It is indeed very odd, and the lack of pathologies on the external parts
> of the bone would seem to rule out osteopetrosis. Unless this is what
> osteopetrosis looks like in the initial stage. It might be difficult to
> confirm this, as I assume this condition would go unnoticed until a late
> stage - after all, birds don't get x-rayed regularly for no particular
> reason.
>
> /Lena
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jen Wooding" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask], "Lena Strid" <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, 17 November, 2010 2:55:40 PM
> Subject: Re: [ZOOARCH] Pathological fowl tibiotarsus
>
> Dear Lena,
>
> I have never seen anything like that - thank you for posting a link to
> the photograph. The first thing that came to mind was osteopetrosis.
> Baker and Brothwell (1980) state that this condition (associated with a
> viral aetiology) starts in the tibiotarsus and does result in new bone
> formation within the medullary cavity. However, in photographs I have
> seen of this condition, there is also obvious pathological alteration to
> the diaphysis of the long bones in the form of irregular compact new
> bone formation. Whereas the diaphysis of your tibiotarsus look to be
> unaffected. The new bone in your photo seems very solid and uniform in
> morphology as well.
>
> I am sorry I cannot help more but I hope this may help as a starting
> point.
>
> Best regards
> Jen Wooding
>
> University of Bradford
>
> --- On Wed, 11/17/10, Lena Strid <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>
>
> From: Lena Strid <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: [ZOOARCH] Pathological fowl tibiotarsus
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Wednesday, November 17, 2010, 2:32 PM
>
>
> Dear all,
>
> I have a medieval fowl tibiotarsus where the marrow cavity has been
> significantly reduced by internal bone growth. It doesn't look like
> medullary bone, so I assume it's some sort of pathology. Has anyone seen
> anything similar?
>
> http://i893.photobucket.com/albums/ac137/ossamentaDW/Benbilder/BFRfowltibiotarsus.jpg
>
> Any ideas would be appreciated.
> /Lena
>
>
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