Investigating marsupial bone weathering: implications for understanding the taphonomy of Australian zooarchaeological assemblages

Modern baseline data is necessary to understand the taphonomic or depositional history of a faunal assemblage. Taphonomy investigates what happens to an animal from its time of death until it becomes part of the archaeological or palaeontological record. In Australia, we have had to routinely rely on international models of bone taphonomy including Behrensmeyer’s (1978) bone-weathering stages. The majority of these studies have focused on exotic placental ungulates (medium to large-sized hooved mammals such as sheep, pig and cattle) making the results difficult to apply to Australia’s endemic, predominately marsupial fauna. To try and provide baseline data the ‘Victorian Native Animal Body Farm’ was established in the La Trobe University Wildlife Sanctuary in 2016. Currently focusing on macropods (Eastern grey kangaroo and Swamp wallaby) and wombats, this experiment is aimed at investigating boneweathering patterns for these taxa. Whilst more time is required to generate comprehensive data, the preliminary results presented here indicate that only approximately 25% of the total experimental assemblage are consistent with Behrensmeyer’s (1978) bone-weathering stages. This may be due to limited scavenger access to the carcasses, the retention of soft tissue and fur on the specimens, the cooler and temperate climate of Victoria, and/or that these are marsupials. Furthermore, there appears to be differences between the way that macropod and wombat marsupial carcasses decompose and weather. These preliminary results provide important baseline data for bone weathering specific to macropods and wombats in Victorian contexts. To further understand marsupial bone weathering, the current carcasses will continue to be monitored. This will aid in generating more Victorian specific data that can also be applied to the wider Australian zooarchaeological record to better understand site formation processes.