Reindeer osteometric dataset (Rangifer tarandus) from the Biodiversity Unit, University of Oulu (Finland), generated in the framework of the Domestication in Action project

This dataset contains osteometric measurements collected on modern reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) skeletons curated at the Biodiversity Unit, University of Oulu (Finland). The specimens include semi-domesticated mountain reindeer (R. t. tarandus), wild forest reindeer (R. t. fennicus), and hybrids from Finland. Metadata include specimen identifiers, sex, age (when available), castration status, training history, and collection locality. Measurements were taken on humerus, radioulna, metacarpals, femur, tibia, and metatarsals. Osteometric variables follow the conventions described in Niinimäki et al. (2021) and include standard length and breadth measurements as well as pQCT-derived cross-sectional parameters (e.g. cortical area, total area, second moments of area, polar moment of area). The dataset was generated as part of the Domestication in Action – Tracing Archaeological Markers of Human-Animal Interaction project (ERC Starting Grant 756431; Academy of Finland grants 275635 and 308322), coordinated by Prof. Anna-Kaisa Salmi (University of Oulu). A README file is provided with detailed explanations of abbreviations, measurement definitions, and dataset structure.