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Estimating the age of domestic fowl ( Gallus gallus domesticus L. 1758) cockerels through spur development

Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: Determining the age of bird remains after the cessation of growth is challenging due to the absence of techniques such as tooth eruption and wear available for mammals. Without these techniques, it is difficult to reconstruct hunting strategies, husbandry regimes, and wider human–animal relationships. This paper presents a new method, developed from a collection (n = 71) of known‐age specimens of domestic fowl (Gallus gallus domesticusL. 1758), for assessing age based on the fusion and size of the tarsometatarsal spur. Using this method, we reconstruct the demographics of domestic fowl from Iron Age to Early Modern sites in Britain to reveal the changing dynamics of human–domestic fowl relationships. We highlight the advanced age that cockerels often attained in their early history and how their life expectancies have subsequently declined.
DOI: 10.1002/oa.2988
Authors: Sean Paul Doherty, Alison Foster, Julia Best, Sheila Hamilton‐Dyer, James Morris, Peta Sadler, Caroline Skelton, Rebecca Smallman, Helina Woldekiros, Richard Thomas, Naomi Sykes
Institutions: University of Exeter, Cardiff University, Bournemouth University, University of Lancashire, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Leicester
Language: English
Subfield: Paleontology
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,300
OpenAlex ID: W3156344744
FWCI: 0.746
Cites: 74
Cited by: 10
Related to: 10