TY - JOUR
T1 - Niche variability in late Holocene bison
T2 - a perspective from Big Bone Lick, KY
AU - Widga, Chris
PY - 2006/9
Y1 - 2006/9
N2 - The Big Bone Lick (Boone County, Kentucky) bison fauna offer a glimpse into the population dynamics and behavioral characteristics of eastern Bison bison during the late Holocene. Examination of the Big Bone Lick dentitions suggests a single kill event that took place during winter or spring. Furthermore, osteometric comparisons of crania and metacarpals between the Big Bone Lick (BBL) bison and western Bison samples suggest that this species adapted to environmental conditions in the eastern US by adjusting developmental timing rather than through overt morphological change. Finally, isotopic (δ13C, δ18O) analyses of bison tooth enamel hydroxylapatite and a unique progression of tooth wear in older age groups indicate these bison were obligate browsers that exhibited substantial differences in inter-annual land-use patterns. The BBL bison assemblage represents a healthy, in situ bison population that successfully occupied a different ecological niche than bison on the Great Plains. Subsistence models that incorporate these animals should consider these important differences.
AB - The Big Bone Lick (Boone County, Kentucky) bison fauna offer a glimpse into the population dynamics and behavioral characteristics of eastern Bison bison during the late Holocene. Examination of the Big Bone Lick dentitions suggests a single kill event that took place during winter or spring. Furthermore, osteometric comparisons of crania and metacarpals between the Big Bone Lick (BBL) bison and western Bison samples suggest that this species adapted to environmental conditions in the eastern US by adjusting developmental timing rather than through overt morphological change. Finally, isotopic (δ13C, δ18O) analyses of bison tooth enamel hydroxylapatite and a unique progression of tooth wear in older age groups indicate these bison were obligate browsers that exhibited substantial differences in inter-annual land-use patterns. The BBL bison assemblage represents a healthy, in situ bison population that successfully occupied a different ecological niche than bison on the Great Plains. Subsistence models that incorporate these animals should consider these important differences.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33745424184&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33745424184&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jas.2005.12.011
DO - 10.1016/j.jas.2005.12.011
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33745424184
SN - 0305-4403
VL - 33
SP - 1237
EP - 1255
JO - Journal of Archaeological Science
JF - Journal of Archaeological Science
IS - 9
ER -