Project Description
Reference collections of vertebrate osteological specimens are typically archived by museums and educational institutions. The UWM Zooarchaeology Lab maintains one such collection, focused on Wisconsin fauna. This SURF project will continue progress on two fronts:
1) the preparation of osteological specimens of Wisconsin fauna, and
2) the expansion of a collection of digital images of those specimens.
Tasks and Responsibilites
Students will spend part of each week on the two goals, prepping new specimens and imaging them. Prepping new specimens involves a process of confirming the taxonomic ID, collecting metric data on the specimen, flensing the whole animal down to its skeleton, maceration under a fume hood, drying and labeling the individual bones, completing the digital inventories per specimen, and boxing the completed specimen for curation. The imaging part of the project will involve selecting particular species, specimens and elements that best complement the digital photographic database that was started last year, exploring best practices for laboratory photography of animal bone when the end goal is to facilitate comparative IDs and document osteological details, and learning how to use software platforms, such as OMEKA, to share such images.
Desired Qualifications
None Listed.