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Spavin in modern and archaeological cattle: Reassessing its association with traction use
Phoebe Liu1, Lenny Salvagno1, Umberto Albarella1
1School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
International Journal of Paleopathology
|February 11, 2025
Summary
Spavin in cattle is linked to age and weight, not sex or draught work. This challenges using spavin to identify ancient draught cattle, suggesting other factors like age influence its prevalence.
Area of Science:
- Paleopathology
- Veterinary Science
- Archaeology
Background:
- Spavin is a common palaeopathology in cattle metatarsals.
- Its association with draught use in archaeological contexts is often assumed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate biological factors (age, body size, sex) correlated with spavin occurrence.
- To evaluate the reliability of spavin as an indicator of cattle draught work in archaeological findings.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of metatarsals from 126 modern non-draught cattle.
- Inclusion of published data from 18 draught oxen.
- Comparison of spavin prevalence between non-draught and draught cattle groups.
Main Results:
- Spavin strongly correlates with age and body weight in non-draught cattle.
- No significant correlation was found between spavin and sex.
- No significant difference in spavin prevalence was observed between draught and non-draught cattle.
Conclusions:
- Age, body weight, and restricted movement are key factors in spavin occurrence.
- The link between spavin and draught use is likely indirect, mediated by age and management.
- Spavin should not be uncritically used to identify draught cattle in archaeological studies.
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