Dataset#2 Bone pathologies of modern non-working cattle (Bos taurus) in the context of grazing systems and environmental influences (based on materials from the South Urals, Russia)
Description
The dataset#2 is devoted to the results of studying pathologies on the bones of modern cattle and environmental conditions in the valley of the Karagaily-Ayat river. The dataset#2 contains graphs, diagrams and images of current environmental conditions, grazing systems and pathologies of the bones of cattle from the valley of the Karagaily-Ayat River. This Dataset is a part of the article ""Bone pathologies of modern non-working cattle (Bos taurus) in the context of grazing systems and environmental influences (based on materials from the South Urals, Russia)""" Abstract: The aim of the work is to assess the forms and boundaries of development of age-related changes and bone pathologies in modern non-working cattle for the possibility of using the results in the analysis of archaezooological collections and in the reconstruction of the working cattle exploitation in antiquity. Study area is located in the steppe zone of the Southern Urals on the territory of Russia near the border with Kazakhstan. About 300 bones of modern cattle were analyzed, most of which are represented by metapodials and phalanxes. When analyzing the material, various archaezoological methods were used to reconstruct the size of animals and describe pathologies. The main results of the work are evidence that minor lipping and exostoses of metapodials and phalanxes, as well as ankylosis and hip joint eburnation, are typical for non-working cattle. In rare cases, lipping and exostoses of 3-4 stages are observed. Another important result is the discovery of the relationship between osteophagia and pathologies of the dentition of cattle. The analyzed changes in the bones of the distal extremities cannot be used for categorical reconstruction of the working cattle when processing the archaezooological materials from archaeological sites, primarily in the East European steppe space. The study showed the vulnerability of reconstructing the working cattle exploitation based only on osteological markers. Obviously, for such reconstructions, all available evidence should be involved, and not just single pathologies of the skeletal system.