Vertebrate taphonomy /

Taphonomy is the study of the formation of paleontological and archaeological sites, including such diverse facets as carnivore damage to animal remains, their sedimentary transport, and eventual fossilization. In recent decades, this study has moved from ad hoc studies on an individual basis to a complex and organized discipline at the interfaces of archeology, paleontology, geology, and biology. Although there have been several books that attempted to both introduce and survey this field, none to date have been fully successful. Vertebrate Taphonomy succeeds through a combination of clear writing, high-quality illustrations, and Lyman's encyclopedic knowledge. After several chapters reviewing the history and theoretical background of taphonomy and its experimental approaches, four more explore aspects of skeletal biology, disarticulation, and deposition, as well as vertebrate mortality and the estimation of population parameters. Two chapters cover human modification of bones (e.g., butchery marks) and other biological effects such as weathering and trampling. Two chapters on burial processes and diagenesis (the physiochemical aspects of fossilization) are short and less successful. Most taphonomic studies relate to mammals, but the last chapter reviews work on other vertebrate groups. A good discussion, extensive up-to-date bibliography, and generally excellent glossary round out this highly recommended volume. Upper-division undergraduate through faculty.