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Osteological remains of small waders of the order Charadriiformes are regularly found in archaeological sites in Europe. Due to high taxonomic diversity, the rarity of some species in reference collections, and a lack of published diagnostic criteria, their identification poses challenges. To help resolve this issue, this study uses morphometric data, taken on a sample of extant wader skeletons, to identify metric criteria for species differentiation. Despite the relatively small sample size, the results show that multiple taxa can be distinguished using morphometrics. Used in conjunction with comparative morphological analysis, this morphometric method provides a valuable aid to zooarchaeologists working on wader remains from continental Northwestern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating the origins of goose domestication relies on successful identification of this species and, specifically, distinguishing it from its wild, morphologically similar, form. Here we present the first attempt to separate wild and domestic geese recovered from Estonian archaeological assemblages using a combination of morphometrics and stable isotope analysis. To this aim, measurements from 159 archaeological bones were compared with modern specimens. Twenty‐five archaeological samples were chosen for stable isotope analysis based on their morphometrics. The results of this paper show that bones identified as "domestic" by their size and shape had significantly higher δ15N values compared with those identified as "wild." The higher δ15N could be a result of dietary differences, for example, the role of manured crops and/or animal protein in the diets of domestic geese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]