Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 36(2) 1993

Issue:

VOL 36(2) 1993

Keywords:

Taphonomy, bird bones, pellets, Strix aluco, Bubo bubo

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Patterns of bird bone fragmentation in pellets of the Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) and the Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) and their taphonomic implications

• Zbigniew M. BOCHEŃSKI
• Teresa TOMEK
• Zlatozar BOEV
• Ivan МITЕѴ

Abstract:

Fragmentation of bird bones in pellets of Strix aluco and Bubo bubo was studied. Each of the owl species examined showed a different pattern of damaging bones of its bird victims. The differences involve: 1 - the relative abundance of skeletal elements in pellet materials, 2 - characteristic damage to the brain case, 3 - the degree of fragmentation of various skeletal elements, 4 - the relative preservation of the proximal and distal parts of long bones, 5 - the application of different bones (in each owl species) for the calculation of the MNI. Big prey of S. aluco suffered more damage than small prey. In B. bubo, pellet materials from nest sites differed from those of non-nest sites in respect of the relative abundance of tarsometatarsi and humeri. All these differences can help in the determination of the origin of some fossil assemblages. They also provide valuable information on the ethology of killing.