Spatial and temporal taphonomic study of bone accumulations of the burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) in central Argentina

Actualistic taphonomy of barn owl pellet‐derived small mammal bone accumulations in arid environments of South America

“…Despite the fact that other sympatric owls show similar general taphonomic trends, the features observed in barn owl pellet‐derived small mammal bone and tooth accumulations indicate – as corroborated by Comay and Dayan (2018b) – that the barn owl is the bird of prey that least modifies its prey bones and teeth in the Monte Desert of central western Argentina, both in intensity and degree. Thus, modern small mammal bone and tooth accumulations generated from pellets of sympatric owls like the Great Horned Owl Bubo virginianus magellanicus (Montalvo et al ., 2016), S. chacoensis (López et al ., 2018) and A. cunicularia (Montalvo et al ., 2020) show a higher degree and proportion of digested elements, a higher proportion of breakage on cranial and postcranial elements, lower relative abundance of skeletal elements indicating greater bone loss, and lower preservation of articulated elements, amongst other taphonomic results, than barn owl pellet‐derived small mammal accumulations.…”

“…However, it also brought the latter closer to samples of burrowing owl ( A. cunicularia ) and Chaco owl ( S. Chacoensis ), whereas the samples reported by Fernández et al . (2012) from the Cueva Huenul archaeological site were grouped mainly with A. cunicularia , a predator for which systematic taphonomic information is also quite recent (Montalvo et al ., 2020). PCA variations are illustrative of how, as actualistic taphonomic studies increase, the possible inferences on accumulating agents of small mammal bone accumulations from archaeological sites are reinforced, corrected and/or systematised.…”

“…Burrowing owl (Montalvo et al . 2020); Black‐chested buzzard eagle and Variable hawk (López et al . 2017b); Chaco owl (López et al .…”

“…Recently, updated taphonomic methodologies have improved our understanding of the processes and agents involved in the formation of these kinds of fossil/archaeological South American records (e.g. Fernández et al ., 2017; Montalvo et al ., 2020). These research works have contributed to strengthening our skills and accuracy to recover small mammal remains in the fieldwork as well as to analyse and interpret such remains and their taphonomic history more adequately.…”

Tafonomía Actualística De Huesos De Anfibios Predados Por Strigiformes Del Centro De Argentina. Contribuciones Para Estudios Paleontológicos Y Arqueológicos

“…Finalmente, se analizaron restos producidos por la lechucita vizcachera (Athene cunicularia), una rapaz de tamaño pequeño (190-250 mm) con una amplia distribución en todo el Cono Sur sudamericano, que nidifica en cuevas y madrigueras abandonadas por otros animales de hábitos fosoriales y semi-fosoriales (König & Weick, 2010). A. cunicularia posee hábitos preferentemente diurnos y su alimentación depende de las fluctuaciones estacionales en la disponibilidad de presas, por lo que se la considera como una rapaz oportunista (Montalvo et al, 2020).…”