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A collection of vocabulary flashcards derived from the Archaeozoology midterm study guide, covering foundational concepts, historical developments, and key terms related to the study of animal remains in archaeology.

Zooarchaeology

The study of animal remains in archaeological contexts to infer past human behavior and environments.

Trophic Levels

Levels in an ecosystem that represent the flow of energy from one level to another, often depicted in a pyramid structure.

Density-Dependent Limits

Population controls that are dependent on the density of the population, such as food scarcity, disease, and predation.

Density-Independent Limits

Population controls that occur regardless of population density, such as droughts and habitat destruction.

Malthusian Principle

The theory that populations grow exponentially while resources grow linearly, leading to competition and natural selection.

Taphonomy

The study of how animal remains become fossilized and what processes affect the preservation of bones.

Ethnoarchaeology

A method in archaeology that involves observing modern cultures to understand past human behaviors and practices related to animal use.

Allometric Scaling

The relationship between the size of an organism and the shape, structure, and function of its body.

Rabbit Starvation

A condition resulting from excessive consumption of protein without adequate fat or carbohydrates, leading to malnutrition.

Insolation

The amount of solar radiation received by a location, affecting seasonal variation and resource availability.

Anti-Predator Adaptations

Evolutionary traits that help prey species avoid being hunted or captured by predators.

Archaeological Evidence of Butchering

Physical signs such as cut marks on bones that indicate processing and consumption of animals by humans.

Exponential Growth

A growth pattern where the increase in population size is proportional to its current size, leading to rapid population increase under ideal conditions.

Species Identification

The process of determining the species of animal remains found at an archaeological site.

Nutritional Stress

A condition indicated by the presence of specific markers in bones, suggesting deficiencies in diet due to resource scarcity.