Bird Bones Research Articles

How does the shape of the wing and hindlimb bones of aquatic birds relate to their locomotor abilities?

Aquatic birds represent diverse ecologies and locomotion types. Some became flightless or lost the ability for effective terrestrial locomotion, yet, certain species excel in water, on land, and in air, despite differing physical characteristics associated with each medium. In this exploratory study, we intend to quantitatively analyze the morphological variety of multiple limb bones of aquatic birds using 3D geometric morphometrics. Morphological variation is mainly driven by phylogeny, which also affects size and locomotion. However, the shape of the ulna, including the proportion and orientation of the epiphyses is influenced by size and aquatic propulsive techniques even when phylogeny is taken into consideration. Certain trends, possibly linked to functions, can be observed too in other bones, notably in cases where phylogenetic and functional signals are probably mixed when some taxa only englobe species with similar functional requirements: penguins exhibit the most distinctive wing bone morphologies, highly adapted to wing-propulsion; advanced foot-propellers exhibit femur morphology that reduces proximal mobility but supports stability; knee structures, like cnemial crests of varied sizes and orientations, are crucial for muscle attachments and efficient movement in water and on land; taxa relying on their feet in water but retaining terrestrial abilities share features enabling swimming and walking postures. Size-linked changes distinguish the wing bones of non-wing-propelled taxa. For hindlimbs, larger size relates to robust bones probably linked to terrestrial abilities, but robustness in femora can be connected to foot-propulsion. These results help us better understand birds' skeletal adaptation and can be useful inferring extinct species' ecology.

Preparation and separation performance of biomimetic polycaprolactone/graphene oxide composite membrane

The treatment of oil and water pollutants generated in industrial production and daily life is an urgent issue that needs to be addressed globally. Inspired by superhydrophobic self-cleaning lotus leaves, durable and sturdy superhydrophobic water-filled barriers, and lightweight bird bones with hollow structures, researchers can obtain superhydrophobic surfaces by creating rough surfaces of layered micro- and nanostructures. In this study, hydrophobic polycaprolactone (PCL) membranes with layered structures were prepared by electrospinning. The surface roughness of the PCL membrane was improved by compounding graphene oxide (GO) functional components on the PCL membrane surface, thereby enhancing its hydrophobicity. The infrared spectrum of the PCL/GO membrane shows that PCL and GO are physically mixed, and no chemical changes occur during the electrospinning process. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the composite fibre membranes reveal the interconnections between fibres. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) provides information on the chemical components of the membranes. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was employed to assess the thermal stability of the membranes. The oil-water separation test demonstrated that the PCL/GO membrane exhibited a separation efficiency of 99.94% for hexane-water mixtures. In the oil adsorption test, the maximum adsorption capacity of the membrane for n-hexane was 35.8 g/g. In the contact angle measurement experiment, the water contact angle of the nanofiber membrane increased from 120.12° to 140.15° with increasing GO content, indicating that the composite membrane exhibited enhanced hydrophobicity.

Archaeological and molecular evidence for ancient chickens in Central Asia

The origins and dispersal of the chicken across the ancient world remains one of the most enigmatic questions regarding Eurasian domesticated animals. The lack of agreement concerning timing and centers of origin is due to issues with morphological identifications, a lack of direct dating, and poor preservation of thin, brittle bird bones. Here we show that chickens were widely raised across southern Central Asia from the fourth century BC through medieval periods, likely dispersing along the ancient Silk Road. We present archaeological and molecular evidence for the raising of chickens for egg production, based on material from 12 different archaeological sites spanning a millennium and a half. These eggshells were recovered in high abundance at all of these sites, suggesting that chickens may have been an important part of the overall diet and that chickens may have lost seasonal egg-laying

Processing water birds for food at the Island of Kökar in the Baltic Sea during the medieval and early modern period (ca. CE 1400–1700)

AbstractFew studies have been made of the specific importance of waterfowl as food in the Baltic Sea during the late medieval and early modern period. This study shows the seasonal importance of water birds to island and coastal inhabitants living in the middle of the Baltic Sea during the late medieval and early modern periods (ca. CE 1400–1700) and practical implementations for interpretation of cut and chop marks. The paper is based on a bird bone assemblage retrieved from a remote ecclesial site on the island group of Kökar, which is part of the Åland Islands, as well as historical documents and local specialist knowledge. The site was established by Franciscan friars somewhere in the mid‐15th century. Documents indicate that the friars had landownership, income from taxing nearby fisheries, and the right to seal tithe. These assets were taken over by the crown in the mid‐16th century due to the Reformation and a parish church was established on the same site after the friary was dissolved. The bone assemblages from the site include birds, mammals, and fish. The material shows a relatively small number of chicken bones in relation to waterfowl, allowing one to look closer into the structural food economy around water birds for the area. The bones also show several cut and chop marks, which have been analyzed to explore the possible processing of these birds. The results show that fowling was concentrated to a couple of species most likely during spring when these species were abundant. The placement of the cut and chop marks indicates that a large number of birds were likely processed at the same time.

Genome-wide association study for bone quality of ducks during the laying period

The cage-rearing model of the modern poultry industry makes the bones of birds, especially egg-laying birds, more vulnerable to fracture, which poses serious damage to the health of birds. Research confirms that genetic material plays an important role in regulating bone growth, development, and remodeling. However, the genetic architecture underlying bone traits is not well understood. The objectives of this study are to identify valuable genes and genetic markers through a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for breeding to improve the duck bone quality. First, we quantified the tibia and femur quality traits of 260 laying ducks. Based on GWAS, a total of 75 SNP loci significantly associated with bone quality traits were identified, and 67 potential candidate genes were annotated. According to gene function analysis, genes P4HA2, WNT3A, and BST1 et al may influence bone quality by regulating bone cell activity, calcium and phosphate metabolism, or bone collagen maturation and cross-linking. Meanwhile, combined with the transcriptome results, we found that HOXB cluster genes are also important in bone growth and development. Therefore, our findings were helpful in further understanding the genetic architecture of the duck bone quality and provided a worthy theoretical basis and technological support to improve duck bone quality by breeding.

Human and birds

The paper presents the study of avifauna from the hunter-gatherer sites at the Dnieper-Dvina basin spanning time period from the 6th to 3rd millennia BC. A total of 669 bird bones were identified and attributed to 46 different bird taxa, representing resident and migrant birds. They belong to four habitat groups: waterfowl, forest, woodside and meadow-steppe. The dominance of waterfowl birds follows the common strategy of aquatic resources exploitation. Changes in the procurement strategies, use and symbolic meanings of birds can be envisaged. Reconstructed regional mean temperature fluctuations suggest a particular influence on breeding biology and migration patterns of different species.

Comparing the effects of two different vitamin regimens on bone metabolism for meat ducks at starting phase

Objective Leg problems including lameness and tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) are one of the most important factors affecting health and animal welfare in meat-type poultry, which are considerably impacted by dietary vitamin regimens. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary vitamin levels on growth performance and tibia quality in 14-d-old meat ducks. Methods One-d-old Cherry Valley meat-type male ducks were allocated to two vitamin regimens for 14 d, which was formulated according to the recommendation of the National Research Council (NRC, 1994) or China Agricultural Industry Standards (NY/T 2122-2012). Each group included 8 replicates with 16 birds per replicate. Results There was no significant difference in the growth performance of ducks, whereas dietary NY/T vitamin supplementation decreased leg abnormalities as compared to the NRC group, along with similar tibia length, perimeter, and the relative weight of tibia. The tibia from the birds that received the NY/T vitamin diet exhibited markedly higher (p < 0.05) ash level, calcium (Ca) content, and bone strength when compared with the bone of NRC vitamin-treated birds. In the tibia proximal end, the increased trabecular area and a number of bone trabeculae were observed in the NY/T vitamin diet (p < 0.05). Moreover, a pronounced increase (p < 0.05) in the serum Ca, alkaline phosphatase activity, and C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen level as the indicators of bone formation were found in NT/T vitamin diet than them in NRC diet. Dietary supplementation with NY/T vitamin regimen also significantly upregulated the relative gene expression of phosphate regulating endopeptidase homolog x linked (Phex), an osteoblastic gene, as compared to the NRC vitamin diet (p < 0.05). However, the concentration of serum bone resorption markers and the transcription of osteoclast-related genes were comparable between the NRC and NY/T vitamin groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion NY/T vitamin diet improved tibia quality and subsequently decreased leg abnormalities in 14-d-old ducks, which was probably linked with the promoted bone formation.

Turn on the lights! Fundamental science leads to scientific progress: A perspective from developmental biology

Many of the ways in which we interact with the world around us have been shaped by the dual efforts of fundamental and applied sciences. Generally speaking, fundamental science generates knowledge about how things work at a fundamental level, and applied science employs this body of knowledge to create a new product or overcome an existing challenge. Developmental biology is a classic example of fundamental science that drives several avenues of applied science. For example, understanding how cells, tissues, and organs develop, and are coordinated within a functioning organism can form the basis for diagnosing medical conditions and exploring treatments. As a developmental biology lab researching bone and cartilage in birds and fish, we are acutely aware of the disparity in financial support between fundamental and applied science research in Canada. Funding cutting-edge applied research with immediate impacts on society is attractive and more easily justifiable to tax payers. However, funding grassroots fundamental science research is equally important but receives significantly less attention and support because the impacts are harder to predict and are longer-term. This commentary addresses this inequity in science funding and high-lights the dire need to improve supports for early career scientists.

Birds in Archaeology

It was a pleasure to review these two books by renowned authorities on the importance of bird remains, both for interpreting archaeological sites and for understanding how human interaction with wild birds has evolved in Western Europe. Wild birds are very important in helping to interpret many archaeological sites and, when I am directing excavations, I always keep to hand Alan Cohen and Dale Serjeantson's manual for identifying bird bones (Cohen &amp; Serjeantson 1996) and I recommend it to the students who participate. For over 60 years Anne Eastham's tireless dedication to Quaternary avifauna and her assiduous preparation, by meticulously dissecting birds to build a comprehensive skeletal reference collection, have furthered the archaeological interpretation of many Western European Palaeolithic sites.

Distinct modes and intensity of bird exploitation at the dawn of agriculture in the Upper Euphrates and Tigris River basins

Early Neolithic avifaunas excavated at the sites of Göbekli Tepe and Gusir Höyük illustrate two entirely different modes of bird exploitation in south-eastern Anatolia during the 10th and 9th millennia BCE, which prompted us the re-evaluation of other substantial bird bone assemblages from contemporaneous sites in the upper basins of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. We thus compared the range and diversity of species captured, seasonal aspects of bird hunting, and types of habitats exploited by Near Eastern communities of foragers at the dawn of agriculture. Fowling practices in the Upper Euphrates catchment aimed at multiple avifaunal resources in varied habitats explaining high taxonomic diversity in the respective assemblages. Overall, the proportions of birds, mammals and fish in the diet were similar in all sites. In contrast, meat diet in the Upper Tigris River basin proved less culturally uniform. The contribution of birds, fish and mammals to the diet varied significantly between sites. Our study also showed that avifaunal diversity was very low at some sites in the Tigris basin suggesting an overall limited interest and time commitment to this economic activity there. An intensification of bird hunting in autumn and winter was observed in both areas.

Bone whistle modeling method based on robust scan point tracking

Several excavations at the Hemudu site in Zhejiang Province have led to the discovery of more than 100 pieces of bird bones that were likely used to create a kind of musical instrument. However, in contrast to the Jiahu bone flute, it is not clear for what the Hemudu bone whistle was used, although it was probably used for musical purposes. In this paper, the 7000-year-old Hemudu bone whistle is reproduced with 3D scanning and printing technology. Therefore, we propose a robust scan point detection and tracking method that includes three main stages. First, we conducted robust point detection and selection where noise and irrelevant points were removed. Then, we propose to track the key points and conduct 3D model optimization. With the above efforts, we obtained the 3D model of the bone whistle, and the audio of the bone whistle is replicated. The purpose of the bone whistles is inferred and evaluated through audio analyses. The experimental results show that the method is feasible.

Bird bones and DIY decorations

Bird bones and DIY decorations

Bird bones and DIY decorations

Bird bones and DIY decorations

Bone aerophones from Eynan-Mallaha (Israel) indicate imitation of raptor calls by the last hunter-gatherers in the Levant

Direct evidence for Palaeolithic sound-making instruments is relatively rare, with only a few examples recorded from Upper Palaeolithic contexts, particularly in European cultures. However, theoretical considerations suggest that such artefacts have existed elsewhere in the world. Nevertheless, evidence for sound production is tenuous in the prehistoric archaeological record of the Levant, the study of music and its evolution being sparsely explored. Here we report new evidence for Palaeolithic sound-making instruments from the Levant with the discovery of seven aerophones made of perforated bird bones in the Final Natufian site of Eynan-Mallaha, Northern Israel. Through technological, use-wear, taphonomic, experimental and acoustical analyses, we demonstrate that these objects were intentionally manufactured more than 12,000 years ago to produce a range of sounds similar to raptor calls and whose purposes could be at the crossroads of communication, attracting hunting prey and music-making. Although similar aerophones are documented in later archaeological cultures, such artificial bird sounds were yet to be reported from Palaeolithic context. Therefore, the discovery from Eynan-Mallaha contributes new evidence for a distinctive sound-making instrument in the Palaeolithic. Through a combined multidisciplinary approach, our study provides important new data regarding the antiquity and development of the variety of sound-making instruments in the Palaeolithic at large and particularly at the dawn of the Neolithic in the Levant.

Human-bird interaction in last Interglacial Iberia: A combined approach using skeletal part analysis, bone surface modification, bird ethology and ethnography

The procurement of small prey by Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers has been much discussed over the past decades, particularly with regards to birds. Birds provide information about the different ecological niches available to exploitation and contribute to the clarification of basic aspects of human behaviour and subsistence. Here, we report on the Middle Palaeolithic bird bone assemblages from reliably dated (by U-series and OSL) MIS-5 deposits of two cave sites in central Portugal with abundant stone tool assemblages and Neanderthal skeletal remains: Gruta da Figueira Brava and Gruta da Oliveira. The associated vertebrate bone assemblages document human processing of both large and small animals, including tortoises; carnivore activity is scant. Avifaunal remains can be naturally deposited in caves, or accumulated by hominin and/or carnivore/raptor activity. The collection from Gruta da Oliveira is almost exclusively composed of terrestrial species, with a predominance of corvids that are known to nest in caves and may have integrated the archaeological deposit due to natural deaths; a few, however, bear anthropogenic modification marks that, in light of the evidence from skeletal part analysis and other archaeological and ethnographic examples, suggest that they may have been targeted by Neanderthals. The assemblage from Gruta da Figueira Brava comprises marine and terrestrial taxa, including edible species, as well as diurnal and nocturnal raptors. The marine assemblage is anthropogenic and reflects the exploitation of rocky cliff and marshy/estuarine environments ∼2000 m away.

Blood flow rates to leg bones of extinct birds indicate high levels of cursorial locomotion

AbstractForamina of bones are beginning to yield more information about metabolic rates and activity levels of living and extinct species. This study investigates the relationship between estimated blood flow rate to the femur and body mass among cursorial birds extending back to the Late Cretaceous. Data from fossil foramina are compared with those of extant species, revealing similar scaling relationships for all cursorial birds and supporting crown bird–like terrestrial locomotor activity. Because the perfusion rate in long bones of birds is related to the metabolic cost of microfracture repair due to stresses applied during locomotion, as it is in mammals, this study estimates absolute blood flow rates from sizes of nutrient foramina located on the femur shafts. After differences in body mass and locomotor behaviors are accounted for, femoral bone blood flow rates in extinct species are similar to those of extant cursorial birds. Femoral robustness is generally greater in aquatic flightless birds than in terrestrial flightless and ground-dwelling flighted birds, suggesting that the morphology is shaped by life-history demands. Femoral robustness also increases in larger cursorial bird taxa, probably associated with their weight redistribution following evolutionary loss of the tail, which purportedly constrains femur length, aligns it more horizontally, and necessitates increased robustness in larger species.

Late Holocene Animal Use in Southern Kamchatka

<h3>Abstract</h3> This study purposed to reveal animal use in southern Kamchatka by examining the largest archaeofaunal collections recovered by Tamara M. Dikova and Nikolai N. Dikov. Radiocarbon dates of charcoal and caribou antler demonstrated that materials for this study were dated during the past 1,600 years, including three cultural periods: Nalychevo Culture (the 15–19th centuries AD), Tar’ya Culture (the mid-first millennium AD), and the intermediate period between them (the early second millennium AD). The taxonomical distribution suggested the significance of true seals and caribou as hunting games. Various roles of sites around Cape Lopatka for seasonal hunting, trade, and manufacturing bone tools were inferred based on bone composition. Caribou antlers, drift whale carcasses, and long bird bones were important materials for making bone tools. The first example of wolf eel and Steller’s sea cow remains associated with archaeological sites on the Siberian side of the North Pacific were also reported.

Birds for Isis: The evidence from Pompeii

AbstractPeople have always been fascinated by birds. In the Roman period, birds (particularly chicken) were still largely employed in several rituals. Although Roman writers, such as Cicero, Livy, Pliny the Elder, and Aelian, inform us about the use of birds in a number of rituals, the archaeological evidence rarely allows us to associate the collected zooarchaeological remains with a single deity.In 2017, a well‐preserved archaeological context located in the vicinity of the temple of Isis in Pompeii and related to a single ritual event (dated to the mid‐1st century CE), revealed a number of faunal remains as well as ceramic and archaeobotanical finds. Chicken dominates the assemblage, followed by goose, pigeon, and turtle dove. A few remains of pig and a marine bivalve, the truncate donax, were also recovered. Skeletally young chickens were largely employed in the ritual, whereas the other bird taxa are only represented by mature bones. Chicken eggshell, taxonomically identified using ancient protein analysis, was also found. Taphonomic evidence indicates that bird bones were still covered with meat when exposed to the ritual fire. The results obtained have been linked to relevant written and iconographic sources dated to the Roman period. This work confirms that bird sacrifice was an important part of the Isis rituals. Among the birds involved, goose could be considered a possible marker of that goddess. The evidence from Pompeii adds new insights into our knowledge of the animals in the Isis cult during the 1st century CE.

Bird bone artifact from the Late Eneolithic/Early Bronze Age site of Zók (Hungary)

AbstractBird bones were rarely used for production of artifacts, due to various reasons—they were much smaller and thinner than bones of mammals usually selected for tool production; they also have specific shapes and fine structure, inadequate for the majority of common artifact types. They were occasionally used for some specific objects, such as flutes, pipes, needle cases, and amulets. When it comes to the Eneolithic and Early Bronze Age periods in south‐eastern Europe, bird bone artifacts are rare; only few have been discovered thus far. In this paper, we will present one additional finding of a bird bone artifact, from the site of Zók–Gradina, situated in present‐day Hungary. Excavations carried out in 1920 by the National Museum in Belgrade revealed a multi‐period site, with major parts of the stratigraphic sequence belonging to the Late Eneolithic/Early Bronze Age Vučedol culture (2900–2500/2400 BC). Vučedol layers yielded relatively large quantities of worked bone, including one artifact produced from a bird bone, that will be presented here. The object in question was produced from the right radius of a Cygnus sp.; it is in the shape of an elongated tube; carefully cut at both ends. The function of this item is uncertain—it may have served as some sound‐producing instrument (flute), or it was some sort of a handle or needle case. It is interesting to note that bird representations, in particular, ornithomorphic vessels, are among the specific traits of the Vučedol culture; therefore, the choice of a bird bone for the production of this artifact may have had a certain symbolic significance as well.

Biotribological behaviour, biodegradability and osteocompatibility of Mg-3Zn/HA composite based intramedullary inserts in avian model

Bioactivity, structural integrity and tribological behaviour of biodegradable orthopaedic fracture fixing accessories considerably impact their actual performance in the body environment. Immune system in the living body quickly responds to the wear debris as foreign material and begins a complex inflammatory response. Magnesium (Mg) based biodegradable implants are widely studied for temporary orthopaedic applications, due to their similar elastic modulus and density to natural bones. However, Mg is highly vulnerable to corrosion and tribological damage in actual service conditions. To address these challenges via a combined approach, the Mg-3 wt% Zinc (Zn)/x hydroxyapatite (HA, x = 0, 5 and 15 wt%) based composites (fabricated via spark plasma sintering route) are evaluated in terms of biotribocorrosion and in-vivo biodegradation and osteocompatibility behaviour in an avian model. The addition of 15 wt% HA in the Mg-3Zn matrix has significantly enhanced the wear and corrosion resistance in the physiological environment. X-ray radiograph analysis of the Mg-HA-based intramedullary inserts implanted in the humerus bone of birds showed consistent progression of degradation and positive tissue response up to 18 weeks. The 15 wt% HA reinforced composites have shown better bone regeneration properties than other inserts. This study provides new insights into developing next-generation Mg-HA-based biodegradable composites for temporary orthopaedic implants, with excellent biotribocorrosion behaviour.