Cranial defects in remains of 17th-century geese from Brandenburg, Germany.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the etiology of cranial variation noted in domestic geese from a 17th-century archaeological site in Flecken Zechlin, Brandenburg, Germany.

MATERIALS: Four skulls from domestic geese.

METHODS

Macroscopic analysis and review of relevant literature.

RESULTS

Defects in the goose crania are similar to those occurring in crested ducks but differ from those associated with crested chicken in location and appearance. There are no indications that the defects are taphonomic or result from infection or nutritional disease.

CONCLUSIONS

The cranial defects are consistent with a crested phenotype and display variability in severity of defects associated with crestedness.

SIGNIFICANCE: This work highlights the importance of evaluating cranial lesions in archaeologically recovered fowl and shows the variability in severity of defects associated with a crested phenotype. Pathology associated with distinct phenotypes of domestic species has implications for understanding the cultural impact on animal breeding and the deliberate maintenance of deleterious defects in domestic animals.

LIMITATIONS: The number of goose crania inspected is small.

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: Look specifically for further archaeological cases to give more insight into the chronological and geographic distribution of crested geese and other birds, which will complement evidence from paintings and written sources.