Carly Gumieny, “Bone Morphology of the Channel Catfish and Yellow, Black, and Brown Bullheads”
Mentor: Jean Hudson, Anthropology, Letters & Science (College of)
Poster #39
This research project involves the osteological comparison of species within the family Ictaluridae contained within the UWM Zooarchaeology Comparative Collection: the Channel Catfish, Yellow Bullhead, Black Bullhead, and the Brown Bullhead. The bone morphology of the Channel Catfish will be compared with Bullhead morphology, and morphology within the Bullhead genus Ameiurus will also be compared. An examination of morphological differences between bone elements of the dentary, angular, parasphenoid, cleithrum, and other elements between species will potentially reveal critical diagnostic features that could allow for species-specific identification within Ictaluridae. The question of whether Bullhead species identification goes beyond visual and behavioral differences of living specimens is addressed through potentially significant differentiation between the selected elements.