Dear Colleagues:
I am currently researching a 19th century farmstead site in the US Kentucky
Bluegrass area. The site produced nearly 10,000 bones, including a
tarsometatarsus from a bird which does not compare well to any specimen
available to me, or in any avian osteology book I have consulted. I
compared it to several different specimens that would be in the size range
for this bird including: those of the pigeon family (Columidae), Northern
bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), screech owl (Otus asio), woodpeckers
(Picidae), crows and jays (Corvidae) thrushes (Turdidae) and grackle
(Quiscalus quiscula). It's a particularly long and gracile tarsometatarus,
and if I had to make a stab at it, I might check common snipe (Galinago
gallinago) or American woodcock (Scolopax minor) if I had access to
specimens. The measurements for the specimen are: 38.01mm greatest length,
3.98 mm distal breadth, 4.92 mm proximal breadth, 2.1 mm smallest breadth of
the corpus. I've uploaded a digital photo to the APWG photo center
at:<http://pub3.bravenet.com/photocenter/view.php?img=36220&usernum=19668204
8>
If anyone has any suggestions about this specimen, I'd certainly appreciate
it.
Thanks in advance!
Jessica L. Allgood
Staff Archaeologist
Zooarchaeology Specialist
Cultural Resource Analysts, Inc.
151 Walton Ave.
Lexington, KY 40508
phone 1-859-252-4737
fax 1-859-254-3747
Jessica L. Allgood
Staff Archaeologist
Zooarchaeology Specialist
Cultural Resource Analysts, Inc.
151 Walton Ave.
Lexington, KY 40508
phone 1-859-252-4737
fax 1-859-254-3747
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