Note (ZL): A new control sample was collected for use in estimating of season-of-death in equids (horses, zebras and donkeys, and also other related species known only from fossils). This sample was drawn from a single population of feral Equus caballus—the horses of Sable Island, Nova Scotia. The authors present an analysis of cementum growth and its relevance to an individual’s seasonal physiological growth cycle. Previous control samples were drawn from a number of different populations. The Sable Island set of samples, all being from the one group of horses, allows researchers to assess how the variations between different sampled populations may have affected previous analyses. The goal of this assessment is assist in refining the interpretative aspect of future work.
However, this paper provides an inaccurate account of Sable Island’s habitat and climate. Examples of errors are on page 36: “There is very little vegetation on the island, other than marine grass and some plants surrounding the freshwater ponds.”; and on page 38: “…climate of Sable Island is unfavourable, relative to most “temperate” zones…”, and “…severe climactic conditions of Sable Island are significantly different from other regions of similar latitude…”.
