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Show Man's best friend: Comparative osteology of Canidae species and remains at Nawthis Village, Utah. Auriana Dunn, Kathryn Sokolowski, Dr. Brian Codding Department of Anthropology University of Utah, Salt Lake City UT BACKGROUND CANID COMPARATIVE DISCUSSION The comparative collection shows certain distinct features between species. However, these differences need to be further substantiated with a larger sample to conclusively define them as diagnostic. Applying the comparative findings to the Nawthis specimens did not garner any new insights. The recovered specimens are too fragmented and underdeveloped. However, with further study comparative osteology may be beneficial to future zooarchaeological finds. Studying domestic dogs in the archaeological record is exceptionally difficult because there are few defining features, particularly in the postcrania,2,3,10 that separate them from their canid relatives, such as coyotes and foxes. Additionally, few studies have been conducted on post-cranial variation in Canidae osteology.1,4,6 However, there is still some interspecies variations that needs to be considered in osteology comparatives.6 The goal of this study was to examine those variations in canid species. Fig 1. Humeri, posterior view [1] UMNH.VP.34471, Canis lupus [2] UMNH.VP.34472, Canis lupus [3] UMNH 31972, Canis latrans [4] Catalog No. 006, Canis latrans juvenile [5] Catalog No. 038, Canis familiaris [6] Catalog No. 29647, Canis familiaris [7] Catalog No. 29365, Vulpes vulpes [8] UMNH 32690, Vulpes vulpes [9] Catalog No. 29662, Vulpes macrotus METHODS CONCLUSION This project looks at the comparative osteology of five canid species. Specimens: • three wolves (Canis lupus) • three coyotes (Canis latrans) • two domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) • two red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) • one kit fox (Vulpes macrotus) Bones compared: • mandible • os coxae • humeri (posterior) • cervical vertebrae After the comparative was completed, the results were applied to juvenile canid remains recovered in the 1970s from the Nawthis Village archaeological site in Central Utah. Those specimens include a partial humerus, a cervical vertebra, and an ilium of a juvenile canidae.5 Fig. 4 Nawthis Canidae ilium fragment Differentiating domestic dogs from coyotes and wolves in the archaeological record remains an important endeavor for understanding past peoples. This study has found key differences that can be used in future comparative endeavors. However, there isn’t enough data in this present study to tell if this is interspecies variation, or simply variation between individuals or between different sexes. CITATIONS Fig. 2 Os coxae, lateral view [1] IMNH R—884, Canis lupus [2] UMNH 31972, Canis latrans [3] Catalog No. 012, Canis latrans [4] Catalog No. 29647, Canis familiaris [5] Catalog No. 29365, Vulpes vulpes [6] UMNH 32690, Vulpes vulpes [7] Catalog No. 29662, Vulpes macrotus 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Fig. 11 Nawthis Canidae distal humerus fragment ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thank you to Dr. Jack Broughton, as well as the Department of Anthropology, University of Utah Zooarchaeology Laboratory and University of Utah Archaeological Center. Fig 3. Mandibles [1] UMNH.VP.34467, Canis lupis [2] UMNH 31972, Canis latrans [3] Catalog No. 012, Canis latrans [4] Catalog No. 006, Canis latrans [5] Catalog No. 29647, Canis familiaris [6] Catalog No. 29365, Vulpes vulpes [7] UMNH 32690, Vulpes vulpes [8] Catalog No. 29662, Vulpes macrotus Bello, A., & Wamakko, H. H. (2021). Comparative anatomy of selected bones of forelimb of local Mongrelian Dog (Canis lupus familiaris) in Sokoto, Nigeria. Insights in Veterinary Science, 5(1), 026031. Calaway, M. (2001). A possible index to distinguish between Canis latrans and Canis familiaris. Lambda Alpha Journal, v 31.p.28-31. Coli, A., Prinetto, D., & Giannessi, E. (2023). Wolf and Dog: What Differences Exist? Anatomia, 2(1), 78–87. MDPI AG Martins FP, Souza EC, Bernardes FCS, Abidu-Figueiredo M, Kasper CB, de Souza-Junior P. Anatomical variations in cervical vertebrae in two species of neotropical canids: What is the meaning? Anat Histol Embryol. 2021 Jan;50(1):212-217. doi: 10.1111/ahe.12609. Epub 2020 Aug 28. PMID: 32857880. Modina, S. C., Andreis, M. E., Moioli, M., & Di Giancamillo, M. (2019). Age assessment in puppies: Coming to terms with forensic requests. Forensic science international, 297, 8-15. O'Keefe, F. R., Meachen, J., Fet, E. V., & Brannick, A. (2013). Ecological determinants of clinal morphological variation in the cranium of the North American gray wolf. Journal of Mammalogy, 94(6), 1223-1236. |
