Species identification and decay assessment of Late Pleistocene fragmentary vertebrate remains from Pin Hole Cave (Creswell Crags, UK) using collagen fingerprinting

• DOI: 10.1111/bor.12225
• Publication Date: 2017-01-13T19:11:09Z
• Authors: Michael Buckley; Virginia L. Harvey; Andrew T. Chamber...
• Keywords: Taphonomy; Megafauna; Microfauna; Faunal assemblage; Identification

Ancient bone remains are widely utilized when investigating vertebrate biodiversity of past animal populations but often so highly fragmented that the majority specimens cannot be identified to any meaningful taxonomic level. Recently, high‐throughput methods for objective species identification using collagen peptide mass fingerprinting have been created overcome this with added indication they could also offer a means relative ageing through decay measurement. Here we explore both and measurements Pin Hole Cave ‘microfaunal’ assemblage, site has designated as representative Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 3 in Britain terms its suite mammalian fauna. We technique's potential corroborate faunal diversity established previously by macroscopic studies evaluate across boundary. The results support analysis fragmentary can yield more diverse set fauna, additional information relating taphonomy, than morphologically intact bones on their own. However, although useful identifying likely contaminations an there was unexpected decrease observed some megafauna compared much younger microfauna, indicating other factors need carefully monitored before it used technique Quaternary deposits.