The Destructive Potential of Earthworms on the Archaeobotanical Record

Datos Bibliográficos

ID11073073
AutoresChristian Tryon (0000-0002-2354-3273, autor de correspondencia), Christian A Tryon
Año2006
Volumen31
Número2
Páginas199-202
Fecha de publicación2006-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of Field Archaeology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0093-4690 • E-ISSN: 2042-4582
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1179/009346906791072007
OpenAlexW2082700958
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas5
Referencias citadas10

Earthworms are widely recognized as important agents in the formation, preservation, and alteration of archaeological sites. I conducted experiments that test the ability of earthworms (Lumbricus rubellus) to ingest and subsequently destroy carbonized seeds (Tapaver somniferum) under controlled settings, designed to reflect field conditions during feeding or burrowing. Results suggest modest seed breakage rates at short time scales that may result in long-term selective removal of some small (< 2 mm) seeds from the archaeobotanical record

Archaeology · Geography · Cephalopods and Marine Biology · Geology · Invertebrate Taxonomy and Ecology · Isotope Analysis in Ecology