Resorptive depressions on a horn core of Late Pleistocene (MIS 3) Bison priscus (Bovidae, Mammalia) from northeastern Germany

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：Uwe Kierdorf^a ; ^{uwe.kierdorf@uni-hildesheim.de} ; Stefan Meng^b ; Ralf-Dietrich Kahlke^c
• 关键词：Animal paleopathology ; Steppe bison (Bison priscus) ; Marine Isotope Stage 3 ; Nutritional stress ; Bone resorption ; Differential diagnosis
• 刊名：International Journal of Paleopathology
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：December 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：15
• 期：Complete
• 页码：76-82
• 全文大小：1840 K
• 卷排序：15

文摘

This report describes an isolated right horn core of a fossil steppe bison (Bison priscus) recovered from Late Pleistocene deposits near Langsdorf in the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Germany). AMS radiocarbon dating provided an age of 45353 ± 2894 cal yr BP for the specimen. The horn core, which by morphological criteria belonged to a female, has two depressions in its basal portion that differ in size, shape, and depth. While depressions are known from horn cores of domestic cattle, sheep, and goats, this is the first case reported from a wild bovid. Formation of the depressions on the steppe bison’s horn core likely was caused by localized bone resorption during periods of increased demand for mineral elements that could not be met by dietary uptake. Such situations may have occurred in relation to pregnancy and/or lactation. Pronounced bone resorption as a means to mobilize skeletally stored mineral elements was observed in other mammals, too. Since horn cores are recovered frequently among skeletal remains of fossil bison, a systematic inspection of fossil collections for similar horn core depressions is encouraged.