Pattern and Process in Bone Modification - Fiorillo - 1991

The increase in the recognition of bone modification features has provided the opportunity to examine the relationship of pattern and process in some such features. Trample marks, for example, can be shown to be time and taxon independent. Presently these marks have been reported from fossil vertebrate localities ranging in age from the Cretaceous to the Pleistocene and their occurrence has been attributed to trampling by hooved mammals and dinosaurs. The occurence of trample marks at a particular site is dictated by the amount of sand of the substrate, the intensity of trampling activity, or a combination of the two. Other factors which affect the occurrence of these marks include the amount of subaerial exposure prior to trampling and perhaps the size of the animals that are trampling.

Keywords

Scratch marks - Trample marks - Cut marks - Bone modification

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