Corroded, thinned and polished bones created by golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) : Taphonomic implications for archaeological interpretations

In a recent paper, Schmitt and Juell argued that corroded, thinned, and polished bones may be diagnostic of carnivore scatological bone. This paper examines leporid and bird bones recovered from 20 golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) pellets, and concludes that these same taphonomic traces are commonly present on bones regurgitated by this diurnal raptor. As a result, much additional research will be required before carnivore scatological bone can be uneqivocally distinguished from bones cast by golden eagles.

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