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• 1. [Article] Where Have All the Native Fish Gone? The Fate of Fish that Lewis and Clark Encountered on the Lower Columbia River

  As part of a special issue of the 'Oregon Historical Quarterly,' discusses the native species of fish in the lower Columbia River described by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in 1805-06. They identified ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Where Have All the Native Fish Gone? The Fate of Fish that Lewis and Clark Encountered on the Lower Columbia River Author: Butler, Virginia L. Year: 2004 As part of a special issue of the 'Oregon Historical Quarterly,' discusses the native species of fish in the lower Columbia River described by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in 1805-06. They identified red charr, salmon trout, sturgeon, anchovy, skeet, and other fish that Indians caught and used as trade items with the Corps of Discovery. However, editors of the Lewis and Clark journals have often erred in identifying the fish Lewis and Clark described; the challenge in identifying anadromous fish lies in changing coloration, markings, and examination of habitat. There has been a drastic decline of native fish since 1805 and a growing dominance of exotic species. Title: Where Have All the Native Fish Gone? The Fate of Fish that Lewis and Clark Encountered on the Lower Columbia River Author: Butler, Virginia L. Year: 2004 As part of a special issue of the 'Oregon Historical Quarterly,' discusses the native species of fish in the lower Columbia River described by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in 1805-06. They identified red charr, salmon trout, sturgeon, anchovy, skeet, and other fish that Indians caught and used as trade items with the Corps of Discovery. However, editors of the Lewis and Clark journals have often erred in identifying the fish Lewis and Clark described; the challenge in identifying anadromous fish lies in changing coloration, markings, and examination of habitat. There has been a drastic decline of native fish since 1805 and a growing dominance of exotic species. Close

• 2. [Article] Aboriginal Fisheries of the Lower Columbia River

  This chapter, included in Chinookan Peoples of the Lower Columbia, published by the University of Washington Press in 2013, explores the aboriginal fisheries of the Lower Columbia River. The authors reviewed ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Aboriginal Fisheries of the Lower Columbia River Author: Butler, Virginia L., Martin, Michael A. Year: 2013 This chapter, included in Chinookan Peoples of the Lower Columbia, published by the University of Washington Press in 2013, explores the aboriginal fisheries of the Lower Columbia River. The authors reviewed ethnohistorical accounts and studies of archaeological sites to create a complex picture of Columbia River fisheries that challenges the prevailing view among anthropologists that salmon was the primary and predominant fishery among Chinookan peoples. The authors show that 19th century Native fishers targeted virtually all native fish species in the Lower Columbia River, and employed a wide range of strategies and tactics to acquire and process fish. Title: Aboriginal Fisheries of the Lower Columbia River Author: Butler, Virginia L., Martin, Michael A. Year: 2013 This chapter, included in Chinookan Peoples of the Lower Columbia, published by the University of Washington Press in 2013, explores the aboriginal fisheries of the Lower Columbia River. The authors reviewed ethnohistorical accounts and studies of archaeological sites to create a complex picture of Columbia River fisheries that challenges the prevailing view among anthropologists that salmon was the primary and predominant fishery among Chinookan peoples. The authors show that 19th century Native fishers targeted virtually all native fish species in the Lower Columbia River, and employed a wide range of strategies and tactics to acquire and process fish. Close

• 3. [Article] On the Validity of the Radiographic Method for Determining Age of Ancient Salmon

  White rings visible on the centrum face of salmon vertebrae with X-rays have been used since the 1980s to age Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), which in turn have been used to determine salmon species, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: On the Validity of the Radiographic Method for Determining Age of Ancient Salmon Author: Hofkamp, Anthony R., Butler, Virginia L. Year: 2017 White rings visible on the centrum face of salmon vertebrae with X-rays have been used since the 1980s to age Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), which in turn have been used to determine salmon species, season of capture and season of site occupation. This approach relies on a variety of assumptions, the most fundamental of which is that rings represent true years. Recent aDNA analysis has shown that the X-ray approach has flaws but the source of the error has been unknown. Given the value of reconstructing salmon population demographics and life history from ancient remains, establishing a valid and reliable method of ageing salmon vertebrae is extremely worthwhile. The main goal of our study was to evaluate if X-ray images of ring patterns on vertebrae provide a valid method of estimating fish age. Vertebrae from 66 adult Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) of known age were studied with X-rays, thin sections or low-powered (10–30 ×) magnification. We found that the white bands observed in X-rays are structural walls that do not grow annually. While X-rays are not a valid method for ageing salmonids, incremental growth seen on the surface of fish centra shows great promise for reconstructing ancient fish life history. Title: On the Validity of the Radiographic Method for Determining Age of Ancient Salmon Author: Hofkamp, Anthony R., Butler, Virginia L. Year: 2017 White rings visible on the centrum face of salmon vertebrae with X-rays have been used since the 1980s to age Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), which in turn have been used to determine salmon species, season of capture and season of site occupation. This approach relies on a variety of assumptions, the most fundamental of which is that rings represent true years. Recent aDNA analysis has shown that the X-ray approach has flaws but the source of the error has been unknown. Given the value of reconstructing salmon population demographics and life history from ancient remains, establishing a valid and reliable method of ageing salmon vertebrae is extremely worthwhile. The main goal of our study was to evaluate if X-ray images of ring patterns on vertebrae provide a valid method of estimating fish age. Vertebrae from 66 adult Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) of known age were studied with X-rays, thin sections or low-powered (10–30 ×) magnification. We found that the white bands observed in X-rays are structural walls that do not grow annually. While X-rays are not a valid method for ageing salmonids, incremental growth seen on the surface of fish centra shows great promise for reconstructing ancient fish life history. Close

• 4. [Article] Assessing Reproducibility in Faunal Analysis Using Blind Tests: A case Study From Northwestern North America

  Zooarchaeologists have long recognized that assigning taxonomic identifications to animal remains is a subjective process, and recent studies have highlighted the need for data quality assurance standards ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Assessing Reproducibility in Faunal Analysis Using Blind Tests: A case Study From Northwestern North America Author: Nims, Reno, Butler, Virginia L. Year: 2017 Zooarchaeologists have long recognized that assigning taxonomic identifications to animal remains is a subjective process, and recent studies have highlighted the need for data quality assurance standards in archaeofaunal research. Our study contributes to this growing interest in quality assurance by presenting simple quantitative methods for assessing the reproducibility of analytic results through blind reanalysis of animal remains that we developed during analysis of fishbone from Čḯxwicən, a large Native American village on the coast of Washington State, U.S.A. Given the large scale of the Čḯxwicən project – over 112,000 fish remains were documented by five different analysts over three years – there was a real possibility that inconsistencies in laboratory practices affected analytic results (e.g., number of identified specimens, taxa present and relative abundance, elements identified, burning frequencies). To evaluate the reproducibility of the Čḯxwicən fishbone data, and the possibility of “protocol drift” – changes in how specimens and bone modifications were identified over the course of analysis – we reanalyzed samples of fish remains that were previously documented during three discrete stages (beginning, middle, and end) of the Čḯxwicən project. The original data and the reanalysis results show close agreement in each stage, with only minor differences in the numbers of recorded specimens, taxonomic representation at family- and finer taxonomic levels, and body part representation assessed for a single taxonomic order. Identifying burning on bone was not very reproducible. Reproducibility studies such as this are useful for highlighting ambiguous identification criteria (e.g., in taxonomic assignment, bone modification), and could stimulate dialog among researchers about ways to address such issues in future studies. Increasing the implementation of these, and other, widely applicable methods should improve zooarchaeological data quality and stimulate further research on quality assurance in archaeology overall. Title: Assessing Reproducibility in Faunal Analysis Using Blind Tests: A case Study From Northwestern North America Author: Nims, Reno, Butler, Virginia L. Year: 2017 Zooarchaeologists have long recognized that assigning taxonomic identifications to animal remains is a subjective process, and recent studies have highlighted the need for data quality assurance standards in archaeofaunal research. Our study contributes to this growing interest in quality assurance by presenting simple quantitative methods for assessing the reproducibility of analytic results through blind reanalysis of animal remains that we developed during analysis of fishbone from Čḯxwicən, a large Native American village on the coast of Washington State, U.S.A. Given the large scale of the Čḯxwicən project – over 112,000 fish remains were documented by five different analysts over three years – there was a real possibility that inconsistencies in laboratory practices affected analytic results (e.g., number of identified specimens, taxa present and relative abundance, elements identified, burning frequencies). To evaluate the reproducibility of the Čḯxwicən fishbone data, and the possibility of “protocol drift” – changes in how specimens and bone modifications were identified over the course of analysis – we reanalyzed samples of fish remains that were previously documented during three discrete stages (beginning, middle, and end) of the Čḯxwicən project. The original data and the reanalysis results show close agreement in each stage, with only minor differences in the numbers of recorded specimens, taxonomic representation at family- and finer taxonomic levels, and body part representation assessed for a single taxonomic order. Identifying burning on bone was not very reproducible. Reproducibility studies such as this are useful for highlighting ambiguous identification criteria (e.g., in taxonomic assignment, bone modification), and could stimulate dialog among researchers about ways to address such issues in future studies. Increasing the implementation of these, and other, widely applicable methods should improve zooarchaeological data quality and stimulate further research on quality assurance in archaeology overall. Close