Characterising leopard as taphonomic agent through the use of micro-photogrammetric reconstruction of tooth marks and pit to score ratio

Abstract

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.

3D Insights into the Effects of Captivity on Wolf Mastication and Their Tooth Marks; Implications in Ecological Studies of Both the Past and Present

“…With the integration of advanced 3D modeling, novel efforts were able to improve this resolution, making closer approximations to the precise agent involved [ 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 ]. Despite the great improvement in statistical data processing techniques, these studies still presented margins of error that were hard to overcome.…”

Hyaenas and early humans in the latest Early Pleistocene of South-Western Europe

“…Their accumulations often show a high degree of taxonomical specialisation for mammals of relatively small size, such as Iberian ibex ( Capra pyrenaica ) or chamois ( Rupicapra rupicapra ), alongside leopard remains. Their assemblages follow typically felid patterns, being dominated by prime-age adults, with high representation of complete limb bones, phalanges, and vertebrae, showing low fragmentation and relatively low tooth-mark counts per specimen 48 , 49 , 63 . Such a pattern differs strikingly from the nature of the highly-fragmented bone assemblage and near-absence of vertebrae documented in the upper levels of CNERQ Complex 2, where medium- to large-size animals abound, predominantly cervids.…”

“…The taphonomical signatures of different carnivores can be quite distinct, thereby enabling analytical discrimination when assessing the formation and alteration of bone assemblages. Felids generally leave fewer tooth-marks and inflict fewer fractures on limb bones 47 – 49 , although modern jaguars ( Panthera onca ) have shown some bone-deletion potential in captivity 50 . In contrast, hyenas can consume or chew almost any bony tissue, including antlers 51 .…”

Obtaining new resolutions in carnivore tooth pit morphological analyses: A methodological update for digital taphonomy

“…While tooth pit analyses have been able to reach > 95% classification using GMMs [ 58 , 59 , 121 ], each of these studies have the distinct advantage of landmark data being collected by a single experienced individual [personal communication and direct participation]. Furthermore, while the original 17-landmark model was able to successfully draw conclusions from each of these studies (with the inclusion of [ 58 , 59 , 121 , 122 ]), the integration of data produced here may increase the precision of these results. The results presented within this research thus represent a means of removing as much analyst-induced subjectivity as possible in the study of carnivore tooth pits.…”