Investigating wild bovines to assess pathological indicators of traction exploitation

IF 1.3 3区地球科学 Q3 PALEONTOLOGY

International Journal of Paleopathology Pub Date : 2025-06-13 DOI:10.1016/j.ijpp.2025.06.002

Fabienne Pigière, Danielle Schreve

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective

This paper investigates the reliability of a set of pathologies in the lower limb bones for identifying the use of cattle for traction. The aim is to evaluate the impact of biological factors, in particular body weight, on the development of these pathologies.

Material

Autopodia from 37 Pleistocene (ie. pre-domestication) wild bovines, characterised by a heavy body weight and originating from areas of flat terrain, were studied.

Methods

Osteomorphological and osteometrical analyses of pathologies to distinguish draught and non-draught cattle were applied to the wild bovines.

Results

A positive correlation is recorded between the body weight and several pathologies: palmar depressions on metapodials, lipping of the proximal articulations of metapodials, proximal and medial phalanges, proximal exostoses of the proximal phalanx, proximal and distal exostoses of the metacarpal and the medial phalanx. A more intensive pathological development is recorded on the forelimbs compared to the hindlimbs.

Conclusions

Heavy body weight causes several pathologies previously related to non-biological factors, usually attributed to traction.

Significance

This research provides insights into the limitations and potential of existing published methods to identify draught cattle by documenting the influence of body weight on pathological changes.

Limitations

The impact of body weight was investigated by studying particularly robust wild bovines but sex and other biological factors could not be determined in Pleistocene fossils.

Suggestions for further research

The study of the aetiology of pathologies will benefit from further research on bovine assemblages with different demographic compositions and from animals living in areas with steep terrain.

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对野生牛进行调查，评估牵引力剥削的病理指标

目的探讨一组下肢骨病理诊断牛牵引的可靠性。目的是评估生物因素，特别是体重，对这些病理发展的影响。材料37更新世的自古猿(即。研究了以体重重、产自平坦地形地区为特征的驯化前野生牛。方法对野生牛进行病理形态学和骨计量学分析，以区分役畜和非役畜。结果体重与足跖掌部凹陷、足跖近端关节、近端指骨和内侧指骨唇部滑移、近端指骨近端外露、掌骨近端外露和内侧指骨外露呈正相关。与后肢相比，前肢的病理发展更为明显。结论体重过重引起的多种病理以往与非生物因素有关，多与牵引力有关。本研究通过记录体重对病理变化的影响，揭示了现有已发表方法的局限性和潜力。体重的影响是通过研究特别健壮的野生牛来研究的，但在更新世化石中无法确定性别和其他生物因素。对不同人口组成的牛群和生活在陡峭地形地区的牛群进行进一步的研究，将有助于进一步研究这些疾病的病因学。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Paleopathology PALEONTOLOGY-PATHOLOGY

CiteScore

2.90

自引率

25.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： Paleopathology is the study and application of methods and techniques for investigating diseases and related conditions from skeletal and soft tissue remains. The International Journal of Paleopathology (IJPP) will publish original and significant articles on human and animal (including hominids) disease, based upon the study of physical remains, including osseous, dental, and preserved soft tissues at a range of methodological levels, from direct observation to molecular, chemical, histological and radiographic analysis. Discussion of ways in which these methods can be applied to the reconstruction of health, disease and life histories in the past is central to the discipline, so the journal would also encourage papers covering interpretive and theoretical issues, and those that place the study of disease at the centre of a bioarchaeological or biocultural approach. Papers dealing with historical evidence relating to disease in the past (rather than history of medicine) will also be published. The journal will also accept significant studies that applied previously developed techniques to new materials, setting the research in the context of current debates on past human and animal health.