Presenter(s): Amelia Delgado − Biological Anthropology
Faculty Mentor(s): Frances White, Madonna Moss
Poster 128
Research Area: Social Science
The UO Primate Osteology Lab had an unmarked collection of bird bones in need of identification. The bones, which were associated with an Excel database, were found to be a project begun by a past graduate student, Brendon Culleton. Many of the bones were labeled with a number and where they were found, however a majority lacked identifications to genus. All bones were collected between 1997 and 1999 from California State Parks such as: Waddell Creek Beach, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Natural Bridges State Beach, Nisene Marks State Forest, Moss Landing State Beach, Point Lobos Reserve, and Zmudowski State Beach.
For this collection, I worked with Madonna Moss in the Zooarchaeology Lab to learn basic bird anatomy and how to identify the bones with the use of the lab’s avian comparative collection. Learning these skills allowed me to gain experience in curating a researchable collection. This collection was found to include humeri, femora, carpometacarpi and other specialized bird bones, which I identified to genus and organized into an Excel database for future use. Identifications revealed that there were at least 12 species of coastal birds such as scoters, gulls, and western grebes present in the box. Upon completion of this project, this avian bone collection can be utilized for potential teaching aspects of fundamental anatomy of coastal birds.