Saturday, February 26, 2011

Deer Bone Scavenger Hunt


Today's find courtesy of Ali's eagle eyes is Odocoileus virginianus or the white-tailed deer. Thus far, Ali has found a humerus, vertebra, and articulated ulna and radius and I've found a mandible and fur clump. Tomorrow's goal is to find more of the skeleton, which will be difficult since scavengers have dispersed it.

The proximal epiphyses of the radius and humerus are still fusing and the teeth are still erupting, so this deer is maybe somewhere between 1 and 2 years old?

Gnaw marks from rodent activity.

3 comments:

  1. We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming of knitting and muppets and music videos to bring you...FAUNAL ANALYSIS! Also, thanks for saying I have eagle eyes but that first humerus was kind of hard to miss. Maybe it would be more accurate to say "thanks to Ali's awareness of her surroundings." he.

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  2. Also, remember how you had all the deer in the yard named? Yeah... I wonder if this is Dennis or Danielle or Dilbert or Denholm or Dodo...

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