Owls, Caves and Fossils: Predation, Preservation and Accumulation of Small Mammal Bones in Caves, with an Analysis of the Pleistocene Cave Faunas From Westbury-Sub-Mendip, Somerset, U.K.Owls, Caves, and Fossils is the first comprehensive, fully illustrated account of small mammal taphonomy. The study of small mammal remains has previously been neglected in favor of such large mammals as elephants, bovids, and carnivores, and Andrews remedies this deficiency by analyzing the taphonomic processes significant in the preservation of small mammal fauna in caves. |
Common terms and phrases
accumulation Andrews & Evans animals Append areas barn owl bat-eared fox birds bone assemblages breakage Breccia buzzard cent clasts coyote damage degree of digestion dentine deposits diet distal diurnal raptors enamel European eagle owl femur fossil grey owl hen harrier humerus hunting incisor loss incisors incisors digested indicate isolated incisors isolated molars isolated teeth jaws kestrel limestone little owl long-eared owl main chamber mammalian carnivores mandible maxillae Microtus modification molar loss molars molars digested mongoose murid nest owl assemblage owl pellets pellet samples pine marten Pink Breccia post-depositional postcranial predator assemblages prey assemblages produced proportions proximal red fox relative abundance rodent rounding salient angles scats sediments sequence shaft short-eared owl showing shrews side chamber silts similar skeletal elements skulls small mammal bone small mammal faunas snowy owl spotted eagle owl subunit surface Table tawny owl tibia ulna unit 19 Verreaux eagle owl vole molar Westbury woodland Wookey