The Destructive Potential of Earthworms on the Archaeobotanical Record

Dados Bibliográficos

ID11073073
AutoresChristian Tryon (0000-0002-2354-3273, autor correspondente), Christian A Tryon
Ano2006
Volume31
Fascículo2
Páginas199-202
Data de publicação2006-01-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Field Archaeology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0093-4690 • E-ISSN: 2042-4582
EditoraInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1179/009346906791072007
OpenAlexW2082700958
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas5
Referências 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