THE BIOEROSION OF BIRD BONES

This study presents a synthesis of the evidence for modern archaeologi cal, and palaeantological bioerosion of vertebrate tissue. It describe s the first evidence for the bioerosion of modern. archaeological and fossil bird bones. A new form of bone bioerosion, known as Hackett tun nels, is defined. The bioerosion of vertebrate tissue by cyanobacteria and algae in modern marine and lacustrine environments is also descri bed. Archaeological evidence indicates that the destruction of bone by bioerosion occurs in other terrestrial environments, such as cave dep osits and middens. Bone from marine and lacustrine environments that a ppears to be macroscopically well preserved can have large amounts of microscopic fabric destruction. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.