1. A Diagnosis ofAlligator mississippiensisBite Marks with Comparisons to Existing Crocodylian Datasets
- Author
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Stephanie K. Drumheller and Christopher A. Brochu
- Subjects
Bite mark ,Hook ,biology ,biology.animal ,Alligator ,Paleontology ,Zoology ,Anatomy ,biology.organism_classification ,Crocodylus - Abstract
Crocodylians are known to consume and modify bones, but actualistic observations of their bite marks have been limited to forensic case studies and surveys of two taxa: Crocodylus niloticus and Crocodylus porosus. To further explore patterns of crocodylian bite mark expression, we conducted a survey of traces left by Alligator mississippiensis. We compared the results to pre-existing crocodylian datasets regarding the potentially diagnostic traits of bisected marks, hook scores, and a lack of furrows. Mark type did not correlate with vital statistics of the sampled animals or collections protocol. Bisected marks were found in rates similar to those seen in one previous survey of C. niloticus, and rates of hook scoring and bone breakage were higher. These traces were all present in higher rates than those reported in C. porosus. Unlike results seen in Crocodylus, furrows were identified in the A. mississippiensis samples. Hook scores were also identified, but recent surveys of non-crocodylian taxa have sho...
- Published
- 2014
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