Quantitative Paleozoology

The first book of its kind in two decades, illustrating how the remains of animals are studied and analyzed.

R. Lee Lyman (Author)

9780521887496, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 7 April 2008

374 pages, 75 tables
25.4 x 17.8 x 2.2 cm, 0.87 kg

"Quantitative Paleozoology is practical and useful, and does exactly what it is meant to do-provide a clearly-organized and well-cited reference manual that both students and professionals in zooarchaeology and paleontology (collectively referred to as 'paleozoology') can pick up, understand, and implement." --PaleoAnthropology

Quantitative Paleozoology describes and illustrates how the remains of long-dead animals recovered from archaeological and paleontological excavations can be studied and analyzed. The methods range from determining how many animals of each species are represented to determining whether one collection consists of more broken and more burned bones than another. All methods are described and illustrated with data from real collections, while numerous graphs illustrate various quantitative properties.

1. Tallying and counting: fundamentals
2. Estimating taxonomic abundances: NISP and MNI
3. Estimating taxonomic abundances: other methods
4. Sampling, recovery, and sample size
5. Measuring the taxonomic structure and composition ('diversity') of faunas
6. Skeletal completeness, frequencies of skeletal parts, and fragmentation
7. Tallying for taphonomy: weathering, burning, corrosion, butchering
8. Final thoughts.

Subject Areas: Palaeontology [RBX], Zoology & animal sciences [PSV], Archaeological science, methodology & techniques [HDW]