Katherine O’Donnell, “Who Is Punk Rock Greg? Identifying Rodent Skeletal Remains Without Dentition”
Mentor: Jean Hudson, Anthropology, Letters & Science (College of)
Poster #160
The University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee’s Zooarchaeological Comparative Collection includes specimen 02-07-00-1, a mouse. Originally thought to be Chaetodipus hispidus, or a hispid pocket mouse, this identification was rejected due to it not being a species native to Wisconsin where the remains were found. The mouse (nicknamed Punk Rock Greg) lacked dentition, the surest way to identify rodent skeletal remains, leaving him without a correct identification. The mandible and cranium were the features analyzed and compared to other mice in the UWM zooarchaeology comparative collection in order to gain morphological clues to an identification. Using a Dino-Lite for magnified images of Punk Rock Greg, wildlife guides, and comparatives, Punk Rock Greg’s identity was revealed to be a woodland jumping mouse (Napaeozapus insignis). Furthermore, the mandible and palate proved to be reliable routes to identification. This project provides a direct way to identify unknown rodent skeletal remains when dentition is not present.