Journal
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
Volume 33, Issue 2, Pages 176-185Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2019.1598401
Keywords
Neotaphonomy; carnivores; early hominins; geometric morphometrics; landmarks
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
This study uses new techniques to analyze and distinguish the tooth marks caused by leopards, lions, and spotted hyenas, showing that they can be statistically differentiated based on their morphology, while the pit to score ratio inflicted by leopards is closer to that of hyenas.
Leopards have been the focus of taphonomic research due to their capacity to create bone accumulations, prey on some hominin groups or potentially provide scavenging opportunities to early hominins. Some of the variables explored to characterise felids as taphonomic agents have presented problems of equifinality, such as the frequency of tooth marks on long bone shafts or the dimensions of tooth pits and scores. Recently, new methodologies based on microphotogrammetry and geometric morphometrics have been developed for the morphologic analysis of taphonomic marks, such as tooth marks. Through a review of Bob Brain's neotaphonomic collection, the present study applies these new techniques to reconstruct leopard tooth marks and compare these with tooth marks from lions and spotted hyenas. Along with this, the ratio pit to score, a taphonomic variable previously characterised in lions and spotted hyenas, has been analysed. Results show that tooth marks inflicted by leopards, spotted hyenas and lions can be statistically differentiated based on their morphology. On the other hand, the ratio pit to score inflicted by the leopard is closer to hyenas.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available