The avian family of barn owls (Tytonidae, Strigiformes) is the most geographically widespread group of owls in the world and one of the most common accumulators of small mammal bone and tooth remains recovered from archaeological and palaeontological sites. The present study analyses the taphonomic characteristics of modern barn owl pellet‐derived small mammal bone and tooth accumulations at three roosting sites from the central Monte Desert, one of the most arid regions of South America. In order to identify the taphonomic signature of this predator in the formation of zooarchaeological and palaeontological accumulations, taxonomic structure, relative abundance of skeletal elements, bone and teeth breakage patterns, and digestion were evaluated. Taphonomic results locate the barn owl in modification category 1 (light modifier). Although the general taphonomic results obtained in the present study were similar to a common barn owl pattern, the three samples showed variability both among them and with other samples previously reported in different regions of the world. Very light digestion was detected on incisors, whereas the proportion of digestion on incisors was close to 20%. Cricetid and murid rodents as well as marsupials were detected. Salinomys delicatus, a scarcely known and endangered cricetid species, was recovered.

中文翻译：

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南美洲干旱环境中源自仓n颗粒的小型哺乳动物骨骼积累的实证性

谷仓猫头鹰的鸟类家族（Tytonidae，Strigiformes）是世界上分布最广泛的猫头鹰群，也是从考古和古生物学遗址中发现的小型哺乳动物骨骼和牙齿残骸的最常见蓄积者之一。本研究分析了来自南美洲最干旱地区之一的蒙特沙漠中部三个栖息地的现代谷仓猫头鹰颗粒衍生的小型哺乳动物骨骼和牙齿的沉积物的特征。为了确定这种捕食者在动物考古学和古生物学积聚形成中的昆虫学标记，对生物分类结构，骨骼元素的相对丰度，骨骼和牙齿的断裂方式以及消化进行了评估。拼音结果将仓owl定位在修改类别1（灯光修改器）中。尽管在本研究中获得的一般层析结果类似于普通的仓模式，但是这三个样品之间以及与先前在世界不同地区报道的其他样品之间均显示出变异性。在门牙上检测到非常轻的消化，而在门牙上的消化比例接近20％。检测到鼠和鼠类啮齿动物以及有袋动物。Salinomys delicatus是一种鲜为人知且濒临灭绝的cricetid物种，现已被发现。