SK: accession number prefix (SK=1948-1968; SKW=1968-1979; SKX=1979-1986 in situ)

Accession Number: accession number

Includes numbers: when specimens were refit together (e.g. SK846 includes several individually numbered fragments)

Member changed: I did not use this field

Member: Member

Altered Member: I did not use this field

Square: provenience unit (e.g. E4 N2)

Quadrant: most squares were divided into quadrants during excavation for
stricter provenience control

Level: depth below datum

Sub-quadrant: in Member 3 many Quadrants were further subdivided into
sub- quadrants for stricter provenience control

Date: date of excavation

Order: taxonomy

Family: taxonomy

Tribe: taxonomy

Genus: taxonomy

Species: taxonomy

Body weight class: based on C.K. Brain's size division of bovids

Alcelaphine/Bird size: both Alcelaphines and birds were divided into
groups based on their body size, owing to the difficulty distinguishing
species within the groups

Carnivore size: ditto for when species could not be determined

Element: type of bone/stone/etc.

Number Bone Flakes/Pebbles: number of pieces in a bag accessioned under
the same number

Potential tool: tools set aside for Lucy

Burnt category: C.K. Brain divided his burnt bones into 3 stages to indicate
how severely they had been burnt

Upper/Lower: maxillary versus mandibular teeth

RI1 to Ldm2: separate fields for each individual tooth in a jaw

Indet Incisor to Indet Tooth: when the specimen was too damaged to
determine what it originally was Tooth portion: for fragmented teeth (e.g. enamel fragment, root, molar
lobe, etc.)

Extent of wear: occlusal attrition of teeth used for separating
individuals into age categories; I did not use this field

Diagnostic features 1 to 5: what features of an element were present
(e.g. element=femur, diagnostic features=femoral head, greater
trochanter, femoral shaft, etc.); what parts of the bone are present

Side: right, left, midline

Degree completeness: estimate of how much of the bone is present (e.g.
25%)

Total specimen units: bones/teeth were subdivided into smaller
anatomically recognizable parts for quantification

Bone portion (Marean): taphonomic information regarding bone
fragmentation and what part of a bone is present based on Marean's
study

Shaft fragmentation (Villa and Mahieu): degree of fragmentation based on
Villa and Mahieu's study

Specimen physically examined: when I examined each individual fossil, I
recorded whether or not I changed the taxon, element, etc., or whether
it was previously unidentified

Included in SK volume: had the specimen been previously published

Epiphyseal fusion: were long bone epiphyses fused to determine age

Tooth age stage gauge: used to separate individuals into age categories;
I used this field rather than extent of wear

Age: relative age categories infant, juvenile, sub-adult, adult, senile

Sex: Gender of species

Surface damage 1 to 3: bone surface modification like tooth marks, etc.

Fracture pattern: taphonomic info regarding bone breakage

Fracture angle: taphonomic info regarding bone breakage

Fracture outline: taphonomic info regarding bone breakage

Weathering stage: measure of exposure to elements based on Behrensmeyer

Shaft circumference: taphonomic info regarding bone breakage

Crown height (anterior lobe): intended to estimate relative age of
individuals based on degree of occlusal attrition; I did not use this
field

Crown height (posterior lobe): intended to estimate relative age of
individuals based on degree of occlusal attrition; I did not use this
field

Box number: what box the fossil is stored in at the Transvaal Museum

Information provided by:
Darryl de Ruiter
Palaeoanthropology Unit for Research and Exploration
Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontology
University of the Witwatersrand
Database created from 1979 - 1986