I agree completely with Umberto. We regularly encounter anatomical questions that may not be answerable, based on where we are today. One thing that someone may wish to do is collect teeth from modern cattle breeds around the world, devise a multiple metric system for evaluating them, and also consider how the work would be structured in the laboratory. In any event, such an expansive undertaking is not for the faint of heart. In particular, one could end up doing a great deal of exacting work, only to return to Umberto's point that the data could not be used in retrospective identification schema. den Dennis F. Lawler DVM, FNAP (USA-Distinguished Scholar) Center for American Archaeology (research associate) Illinois State Museum (adjunct in paleopathology) Pacific Marine Mammal Center Laguna Beach CA (population diseases) *Ad hoc* Associate Editor, International Journal of Paleopathology On Wed, Oct 9, 2019 at 3:10 PM Umberto Albarella < [log in to unmask]> wrote: > Hi Jacob, > I understand your problem, but I fear that you are asking an impossible > question. There is no such a thing as a meaningful size average of the > molars of all cattle populations of the world from all periods in human > history. It can theoretically be calculated but nobody has even dreamed of > doing so, as it would mean nothing. > I suspect you need to consider a different approach. > Good luck! > Umberto > > > > > > On Wed, 9 Oct 2019 at 17:02, J Griffith <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> Hey everyone, >> >> I was wondering if anyone knew of a paper which states the average size >> of unworn cattle first and second molars. I know this average maybe >> dependant on a lot of variables, but at the moment i cannot find anything. >> >> I have taken averages from the specimen collection, but this is diffcult >> as most are worn . So anythibg you have (ive dove into veterinary papers >> cant find much) would be great! >> >> Im doing sequential dentine and enamel analysis of cattle in the norse >> period - but different wear stages is making cross comparisons difficult - >> an estimation on length missing would aid in my work. >> >> I hope you are all well! >> >> Jacob Griffith, Cardiff University Postgraduate Student (MSc) >> >> ------------------------------ >> >> To unsubscribe from the ZOOARCH list, click the following link: >> https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?SUBED1=ZOOARCH&A=1 >> > > > -- > Umberto Albarella > Department of Archaeology > University of Sheffield > Minalloy House > 10-16 Regent Street > Sheffield S1 3NJ > United Kingdom > Telephone: (+) 44 (0) 114 22 22 943 > Fax: (+) 44 (0) 114 22 25 109 > http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/archaeology/people/albarella > For MSc in Osteoarchaeology see: > > https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/archaeology/postgraduate_taught/msc_osteoarchaeology > For Zooarchaeology short courses see: > http://www.shef.ac.uk/archaeology/research/zooarchaeology-lab/short-course > Oxford Handbook of Zooarchaeology: > > https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-oxford-handbook-of-zooarchaeology-9780199686476?cc=gb&lang=en > > "No one has the right to obey" > Hannah Arendt > > ------------------------------ > > To unsubscribe from the ZOOARCH list, click the following link: > https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?SUBED1=ZOOARCH&A=1 > ######################################################################## To unsubscribe from the ZOOARCH list, click the following link: https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?SUBED1=ZOOARCH&A=1