Bison Skulls

[Indy]

We excavated 26 skulls thus far this winter. They have been buried in gravel, underwater.

There are many bones in the area. We have concentrated on skulls. We could easily gather many various bones. Leg, vertebrae, pelvic, rib, scapula, lower jaws, etc.

I think many of us are wondering if the skulls where found In-Situ with the

rest of the animals. In other words...When you excavated under the gravel...

Did you see a lot of bones and skulls...but only collected the skulls??

Edited January 18, 2012 by Indy

[ashcraft]

Adding to Indy's query, did the bones appear to be articulated, implying they died where you are finding them, or are they all jumbled together, implying reworking from their original deposition? Quite an interesting site.

Brent Ashcraft

[quacksmacker]

The bones are quite scattered, as are the skulls. The whole area is approximately 300 yards by 100 yards.....a strip that extends from river bank to river bank and is shallow enough to wade. There is no way to explore the deeper water, due to time of year and current. There is deeper water on both sides of the area we are working. The river bottom where all the bones are found consists of gravel, with stones no larger than the size of a quarter or half-dollar. Areas nearby feature sand bottom and rocky gravel bottom (with larger rocks). These areas only hold an occasional random bone.

[Ethologist]

Amazing find!

[Rob Russell]

Well, I must say, I have no problem hanging around for a year or so to see what your tally totals. Thanks for giving a thorough description of the area you're working. One more thing... Nice Walleye quacksmacker!

Edited January 18, 2012 by Rob Russell

[Taxman56]

I smell a Barbeque!

Nice Finds,

Did you check any of the bones for tool marks?

[Bullsnake]

There are many bones in the area. We have concentrated on skulls. We could easily gather many various bones. Leg, vertebrae, pelvic, rib, scapula, lower jaws, etc.

I'd be tempted to 'build a bison'.

[AgrilusHunter]

I'd be tempted to 'build a bison'.

X 26

Edited January 19, 2012 by AgrilusHunter

[quacksmacker]

We have discussed building a bison. When we get some time, we are going to begin collecting bones and separating them by type. Once we get all we can, of the various types, we will calculate where we stand in regards to construction.

[ohiofossilhunter]

yeah with that good of a preservation I would try to build a few skeletons.

[Ameenah]

Only 26. You should try a different spot.

(Just kidding, that skull is awesome)

LOL I was just saying the same thime as I read it

[Indy]

We have discussed building a bison. When we get some time, we are going to begin collecting bones and separating them by type. Once we get all we can, of the various types, we will calculate where we stand in regards to construction.

Very Interesting...

You can add pictures on this post...Work in Progress thing as you collect and reconstruct a bison

[Hemi-God]

Wow, this is amazing! What an absolutely awesome find(s). I'd be camped out right there at the site collecting day and night.

(I have an obsessive compulsive issue though)

Edited January 20, 2012 by Hemi-God

[32fordboy]

Wow, how did I miss this one? Nice finds!

[DCW]

Amazing!

[Cris]

Another important question that I didn't see asked: have you found many/any stone tools in the gravel with the bones and skulls? It sounds a lot like a kill site to me....Paleo indians would use shallow places like what you describe to ambush bison when they were most vulnerable (as soon as they tried to cross the river)...Also, since they have access to nice fresh water, they would usually butcher the animal right where they killed it, carry whatever they needed and discard the bones/skulls.

[32fordboy]

The problem I have with the kill site idea is that there looks to be Bison bison mixed with Bison antiquus in the photo. Wouldn't that be an indicator of animals from different periods falling into a concealed pond over a large length of time?

[garyc]

The problem I have with the kill site idea is that there looks to be Bison bison mixed with Bison antiquus in the photo. Wouldn't that be an indicator of animals from different periods falling into a concealed pond over a large length of time?

Where are you seeing differences? They all look the same to me.

[Xiphactinus]

The problem I have with the kill site idea is that there looks to be Bison bison mixed with Bison antiquus in the photo. Wouldn't that be an indicator of animals from different periods falling into a concealed pond over a large length of time?

I thought the same thing, but I'm far from an expert in bison. Some of the horns look much straighter and longer than others.

[32fordboy]

The two left-most appear to be Bison bison. Imagine the string between the horn tips. If there's an imaginary 2" or so gap between the skull and string, it's of the modern variety. If the string would touch the skull, it would be B. antiquus or B. antiquus occidentalis.

From what I understand, Bison antiquus occidentalis is the one that has the horns tilted in the same plane as nose-to-forehead. Regular B. antiquus skulls don't seem to have as much rearward twist and seem to be more robust.

Edited January 23, 2012 by 32fordboy

[Jesse]

The problem I have with the kill site idea is that there looks to be Bison bison mixed with Bison antiquus in the photo. Wouldn't that be an indicator of animals from different periods falling into a concealed pond over a large length of time?

It will take an in depth taphonomic study to reveal how these fossils accumulated in this remarkable find, but early human kill sites can not be ruled out. Here in Idaho we have evidence of 3 species of bison (Latifrons, Antiquus, Bison bison) up untill 12000ish years ago.

[JohnJ]

The bones are quite scattered, as are the skulls. The whole area is approximately 300 yards by 100 yards.....a strip that extends from river bank to river bank and is shallow enough to wade. There is no way to explore the deeper water, due to time of year and current. There is deeper water on both sides of the area we are working. The river bottom where all the bones are found consists of gravel, with stones no larger than the size of a quarter or half-dollar. Areas nearby feature sand bottom and rocky gravel bottom (with larger rocks). These areas only hold an occasional random bone.

To me, it's unlikely to be a "kill site" given the description as a shallow gravel bar in a river. That's a dynamic environment. It sounds like the earlier suggestion of flash flood deaths. If the gravel bar is formed by a rise in the local bedrock or a turn in the river, it could account for the accumulation of bones from different times in the same area. I've seen similar situations in other rivers...just a thought.

[ashcraft]

To me, it's unlikely to be a "kill site" given the description as a shallow gravel bar in a river. That's a dynamic environment. It sounds like the earlier suggestion of flash flood deaths. If the gravel bar is formed by a rise in the local bedrock or a turn in the river, it could account for the accumulation of bones from different times in the same area. I've seen similar situations in other rivers...just a thought.

Don't know.....twenty randomly washed skulls into the same bend? Perhaps if there was a recurring "death area" up stream. To me, they would have to have died at the same time, or in the same place, probably from the same cause. It would be a fascinating thing to try to figure out. Probably would have to look at bison themselves, are they different species separated temporaly, also an important question, are there only bison bones? Flash floods would kill more then bison I would think. Interesting conundrum to speculate upon, but don't know if it is ever answerable.

Brent Ashcraft

[Xiphactinus]

Don't know.....twenty randomly washed skulls into the same bend? Perhaps if there was a recurring "death area" up stream. To me, they would have to have died at the same time, or in the same place, probably from the same cause. It would be a fascinating thing to try to figure out. Probably would have to look at bison themselves, are they different species separated temporaly, also an important question, are there only bison bones? Flash floods would kill more then bison I would think. Interesting conundrum to speculate upon, but don't know if it is ever answerable.

Brent Ashcraft

Brent - bison herds blackened the prairie. If a herd was crossing a low area and a flash flood hit, there could be hundreds of bison skeletons there. Water tends to sort by size, so all the bison would have settled together. Smaller animals somewhere else. (Even though if a giant herd of bison was coming through, I doubt there were smaller animals out and about.) This reminds me of the Centrasaur bone beds in Alberta.

[32fordboy]

I like the theory about animals falling through ice or mud over a long period of time. Think of LaBrea. Better yet, think of the Snowmass site here in Colorado. Before Snowmass, there were 3-4 confirmed Mastodon specimens in all of Colorado's history. The discovery of the Snowmass site multiplied that number big time. I have no time to look it up right now, but something like 30+ individuals "rings a bell".

The Bison skulls in the photos don't look very "transitional", either, so I have a difficult time imagining they were there at the same time. Not to mention, currents would explain the scattering of bones.

The frozen lake incident seems more realisitc than either a hunt or a natural massacre...?

EDIT: As of June 5, 2011, there were 27 Mastodon tusks found at Snowmass, which equates to a minimum of 14 individuals.

Edited January 24, 2012 by 32fordboy