ANTHR-140 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Soft Tissue, Body Proportions, Pelvis
15 Jun 2020
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Fossil formation: die, carcass decomposes, organism buried, skeletal remains. 70% mineral (up to 90% in teeth) More inorganic content means higher chance of fossilization (hyenas eat bones) Type of fossils: body fossils: impressions where rock hardened around a soft body in sediment. Soft tissue decayed and filled in by minerals: trace fossils: show behavior, footprints: can give info about locomotion, coprolites (fossilized feces) or stomach contents (rare) and used to understand diets and environment. Cranial size and shape can teach us cognitive behavior culture. Teeth can teach us diet, behavior, social structures . Body proportions can teach us about locomotion and the ecology. Pelvis and spine can teach us locomotion and obstetrics. Hands teach manual dexterity and tool usage. Not complete record of history (only a sample) Only a rare amount of fossils in proportion to number of existing organisms (most bones do not get buried) Most inorganic parts get preserved the best (bones, shells, teeth)
