Hi Aurelie,
here are two more papers that deal with insect pupation chambers in bones:
Tobien, Heinz (1965): Insekten-Fraßspuren an tertiären und pleistozänen Säugetier-Knochen. – Senckenbergiana lethaea 46a, 441-451
Keiler, John Albrecht (2002): Bedeutende Fossilvorkommen des Quartärs in Thüringen. Teil 3: Insekten. – Beiträge zur Geologie von Thüringen 9, 173-186
However, for me the pits are too numerous and too uneven for insect chambers plus the rims being often rounded. I would suggest to consider some kind of chemical corrosion which might not be unlikely in a context like a rock shelter.
Best
Christian
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Am 21.04.2015 um 12:16 schrieb Allentuck, Adam:
> Hi Aurélie,
>
> Have you considered the possibility that these are insect pupation
> chambers? The uniform size, shape and orientation of these depressions are
> consistent with the activity of insect pupae. You¹ll find parallels in the
> figures from the following paper:
>
> Martin, L. D., & West, D. L. (1995). The recognition and use of dermestid
> (Insecta, Coleoptera) pupation chambers in paleoecology. Palaeogeography,
> Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 113, 303-310.
>
> Cheers,
> Adam
>
> Adam Allentuck
> SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow
> Honorary Research Associate
> Institute of Archaeology
> University College London
> 31-34 Gordon Square
> London WC1H 0PY
> United Kingdom
> http://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/people/staff/honorary/allentuck
>
>
>
>
>
> On 2015-04-21, 10:46 AM, "Aurélie Guidez" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Dear Zooarch,
>>
>> I'm working on the faunal remains of a mesolithic rock-shelter in
>> Switzerland and I've found some strange little marks that I'm unable to
>> tell what they come from. They are little cupules, about 1mm in diameter.
>> I've found them on both burned and unburned bones, on medullary and
>> cortical surfaces.
>> I've already asked several fellow zooarchaeologists, without success, so
>> I now refer to you all. Does anybody have an idea about what they are?
>> You'll find some pictures here (one large plan and some closer looks):
>>
>> http://zooarchaeology.ning.com/photo/albums/strange-little-marks
>>
>> Many thanks for your help,
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Aurélie
>>
>> --
>> Aurélie Guidez
>>
>> Doctorante - Université de Strasbourg
>> UMR 7044 - ARCHIMEDE
>>
>> Ostéothèque du Musée Zoologique de Strasbourg
>> 29 boulevard de la Victoire
>> 67000 Strasbourg
>>
>> [log in to unmask]
>> [log in to unmask]
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