Assessing 'Meidum Geese' species identification with the ‘Tobias criteria’ (1 Viewer)

[albertonykus]

Blog post on this study by Jente Ottenburghs.

 

[RSN]

Guy M. Kirwan, Richard K. Broughton, Alexander C. Lees, Jente Ottenburghs, Joseph A. Tobias

The ‘Meidum geese’ revisited: Early historical art is not a suitable basis for taxonomic speculation

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, Volume 41, February 2022, 103322
doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2021.103322

Abstract
Romilio (2021) used a taxonomic scoring system to compare differences between three species of geese (Anseriformes) depicted in the Chapel of Itet, one of which he speculated might represent an undescribed (presumably now extinct) species. Despite some apparently distinctive features, the depiction has traditionally been associated with the well-known modern species, red-breasted goose (Branta ruficollis). We discuss limitations in applying the Tobias et al. (2010) scoring system to cases such as this, for which it was not designed, and we outline the many pitfalls that must be considered when attempting to identify historical artwork of birds using examples discussed recently in the ornithological literature. We conclude that the illustrations proposed by Romilio to represent a new Branta goose species are within the range of known plumage variation and potential artistic licence for red-breasted goose, and that this very probably is the species upon which the artwork was based. More generally, we caution against applying the Tobias criteria to cases where a series of specimens cannot be measured, and highlight the difficulties of using illustrations to inform taxonomy.

The ‘Meidum geese’ revisited: Early historical art is not a suitable basis for taxonomic speculation

Romilio (2021) used a taxonomic scoring system to compare differences between three species of geese (Anseriformes) depicted in the Chapel of Itet, on…

www.sciencedirect.com

 

[Farnboro John]

I find this very interesting as it relates to a matter I noticed on the island of Iona some years ago. Celtic art experts had stated that an illustration showed a highly stylised Greylag Goose, but the bird had a bill whose upper and lower mandibles mirrored each other - short, parallel sided, curved ends meeting - head extended upwards from a body bearing a basketwork pattern on its back (I hope the description is fairly clear.) Considering it was Iona what I saw was a pretty accurate representation of a Corncrake.

I've no doubt that the experts knew a lot about Celtic culture but I think that knowing stuff-all about birds they had over-reached themselves, because within the limitations of no bins (but eating anything they could catch with nets, traps, bows and arrows, slings etc) I bet the Celts knew their local fauna pretty exactly. Certainly as well as the Egyptians knew Red-breasted Goose and Black-backed Jackal.

John

 

[jurek]

Wording of the original publication was interesting: single sentences were true, but the sense of the whole (that there was a completely new goose species) was very improbable. Like an exercise in making sensation news on Facebook.

I find this very interesting as it relates to a matter I noticed on the island of Iona some years ago. Celtic art experts had stated that an illustration showed a highly stylised Greylag Goose, but the bird had a bill whose upper and lower mandibles mirrored each other - short, parallel sided, curved ends meeting - head extended upwards from a body bearing a basketwork pattern on its back (I hope the description is fairly clear.) Considering it was Iona what I saw was a pretty accurate representation of a Corncrake.

It is possible that the experts knew of a convention of drawing geese in Celtic art, and intermediate images between the naturalistic greylag and this corncrake-like bird.

But otherwise, art people are often wrong in identification of wildlife in art. This is not their area of expertise. I am not sure if this is of importance, but you might interest somebody in it.

This reminds me of images from ancient Egypt, which showed calves of scimitar oryx and addax antelopes with horns not yet grown. Art historians misidentified these as an okapi and a jentink's duiker and theorized that ancient Egyptians made long expeditions to the Congo Basin and West Africa.

 

[moralclimate]

Hey! A simple Google search brought up this:

"A papyrus depiction of geese-feeding from Dynasty V. DE AGOSTINI PICTURE LIBRARY, GETTY IMAGES" from "We’ve Been Debating Foie Gras Since Ancient Times" January 2018, We've Been Debating Foie Gras Since Ancient Times

Authentic detail?

 

[jurek]

Cool graphics! I only knew about the Meidum geese painting, not this one!

The geese are recognizably red-breasted geese, but the birds on the right have mixed crane and stork features. This art was heavily stylized. Or maybe parts of the bodies of the birds were painted grey/black by some pigment which faded to white?

 

[moralclimate]

Storm in a teacup or what. The "papyrus" is actually a reconstruction of a tomb relief image in which no original colour survives. Probably shows some kind of 'goose' but not necessarily Anserinae. Storks not cranes I'd say, but Black or White?
Tomb relief feeding of cranes Old Kingdom 5th Dynasty 2500-2350 BC Saqqara Egypt Egyptian Stock Photo - Alamy
Getty Images