Osseous carnivores consumption:: Results of the study of the carcasses of cattle (Bos taurus) exploitation by captive wolves

The large Pleistocene carnivores activities had in some cases, induced important modifications on faunal assemblages. Therefore, the study of archaeological remains requires the research and the identification of their actions on the bones. Even if its remains are less common than cave hyenas ones in the Pleistocene layers, the Wolf can bias faunal stock analysis. This article presents the impact of captive wolves on large bovins carcasses (Bos taurus). The exploitation sequence and tooth mark are described and compared to the ones from other captive and wild carnivores (spotted hyenas, lions, wolves) in the aim to propose diagnostic features of the action of these different taxa. While lions and wild wolves activities are characterized by a low destruction of bones, captive wolves and hyenas conduct more complete carcasses exploitation. The impact of hyenas and wolves is quite similar, and is more delicate to identify one from the other in archaeological context where the time of exploitation is unknown. (C) 2008 Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits reserves.