Expansion of the referential framework for the rabbit fossil accumulations generated by Iberian lynx

The Iberian lynx is an endemic predator of the Iberian Peninsula currently restricted to southern Spain. It is one of the primary predators of rabbits in Iberian ecosystems and probably an important taphonomic agent. Few experimental taphonomic research has focused specifically on this aspect because the Iberian lynx is currently the world's most endangered feline. During the late Pleistocene and early Holocene its home range spread to the whole Iberian Peninsula and Southern France. From an anthropological point of view, Southwestern Europe is one of the major areas of interest for studies of leporid fossil accumulations because some archaeological sites show a clear anthropogenic exploitation of rabbits and hares by Neanderthals and Anatomically Modern Humans. This research is framed within the study of variability in the taphonomic signal of the Iberian lynx. In this paper a set of rabbit bones eaten by a female lynx and her cubs during the denning season which takes around two months has been studied. The experimental assemblage has been characterized using the anatomical representation of the remains, breakage patterns and damage modifications preserved on bone surfaces. The taphonomic data are discussed along with data from the literature of the ethology of the Iberian lynx. The characteristics of the taphonomic modifications are very similar in non-ingested remains altered by adults documented in previous works, and non-ingested remains modified by the litter, in terms of anatomical profile, breakage and tooth mark frequency. The main difference is the presence of specific small tooth marks caused by infant individuals. It is concluded that the Iberian lynx may be a significant source of rabbit bone accumulations in caves and shelters, but exclusively during its breeding season. The presence of bones of mixed origin in the final set (non-ingested and ingested) is inferred as a taphonomic signal feature of Iberian lynx. The expansion of the referential framework will allow us to strongly discriminate the role of hominids and lynxes in fossil accumulations of rabbits, especially when this kind of preys was usually exploited and accumulated by the hunter-gatherers in caves and shelters. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.