SREL Reprint #2383

Evaluation of molar size as a basis for distinguishing wild boar from domestic swine: employing the present to decipher the past

John J. Mayer1, James M. Novak2, and I. Lehr Brisbin, Jr.2

1Westinghouse Savannah River Company, P.O. Box 616, Aiken, SC 29802
2Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, P.O. Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802

Introduction: The domestication of swine (Sus scrofa L.) and other animal species was a keystone cultural achievement of early human populations, and identifying the time(s) and place(s) of its occurrence has been an important goal of archaeological investigations. The ability to accurately identify wild ancestors from truly domestic forms in associated faunal remains is often based on the presence of derived or altered morphological characters in comparison to the wild ancestor (Bökönyi 1969; Zenner 1963). Skull characteristics, which have been widely recognized by taxonomists as one of the best means of classifying vertebrates (Lowe and Gardiner 1976), have been among the most important traits used to document the domestication process (Bökönyi 1969; CluttonBrock 1981; Zenner 1963). Unfortunately, cranial and mandibular material recovered from archaeological sites is often insufficient to allow either quantitative or qualitative comparisons.

SREL Reprint #2383

Mayer, J.J., J.M. Novak, and I.L. Brisbin, Jr. 1998. Evaluation of molar size as a basis for distinguishing wild boar from domestic swine: employing the present to decipher the past. MASCA Research Papers in Science and Archaeology 15:39-53.

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).