Abstract:Predation onto cave bears (especially cubs) took place mainly by lion Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss), as nocturnal hunters deep in the dark caves in hibernation areas. Several cave bear vertebral columns in Sophie’s Cave have large carnivore bite damages. Different cave bear bones are chewed or punctured. Those lets reconstruct carcass decomposition and feeding technique caused only/mainly by Ice Age spotted hyenas Crocuta crocuta spelaea, which are the only of all three predators that crushed finally the lon… Show more
“…As is now well known, Aurignacian humans lived in Europe together with the last and largest cave bear species U. ingressus [ 16 , 18 , 21 , 23 , 58 , 59 ]. At a few cave sites in Europe, hunting of cave bears with propulsory spears is documented for the Aurignacians–Gravettians [ 5 , 22 , 23 , 57 ]. Therefore, the ‘pseudo-bone flutes’ originate from both smaller Ursus spelaeus subsp.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The bone crusher of longbones was only the Ice Age spotted hyena, which produced round/oval puncture marks on cave bear cub bones by the bone crushing premolar teeth, i.e. ‘bone flute holes’ (composed and adapted from [ 4 , 14 , 15 , 22 , 23 ]; illustrations G. Teichmann). Figure 3.…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…figures 2 and 3 ). However, the main ‘bone destructor’ is known to be the European Ice Age spotted hyena [ 19 ] ( figure 2 ), with cave bear bone damage first understood at the overlapping hyena den (cave entrance) and cave bear den of the Perick Caves [ 50 – 52 ], with newer proof at Sophie's Cave [ 21 , 22 ], and Hermann's Cave [ 16 ] or Zoolithen Cave [ 18 ] and herein best demonstrated and newly added for the Weiße Kuhle Cave ( figures 3 , 4 , 6 and 7 ).…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…spelaeus [ 54 ] Sophie's Cave (D) MIS 3–5d (?e) large cave bear den/short-term hyena den at entrance P. l. spelaea, C. c. spelaea, C. lupus cf. spelaeus [ 18 , 19 , 21 , 22 ] Große Teufels Cave (D) MIS 3–5d large cave bear den/short-term wolf and ?hyena den at entrance P. l. spelaea, C. c. spelaea, C. lupus cf. spelaeus [ 18 , 19 ], herein Oase Cave (Ro) MIS 3–5d large cave bear den/Aurignacian skull find site C. c. spelaea, C. lupus subsp.…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…(2) Femur from Keppler Cave, Germany (photos adapted from [ 4 ]; SMM collection). (3) Femur from Sophie's Cave, Germany (photos adapted from [ 22 ]; SMM collection). (4) Femur from Divje Babe Cave 1—‘the Neanderthal bone flute holotype’, Slovenia (photos from NMLS collection).…”
Punctured extinct cave bear femora were misidentified in southeastern Europe (Hungary/Slovenia) as ‘Palaeolithic bone flutes’ and the ‘oldest Neanderthal instruments’. These are not instruments, nor human made, but products of the most important cave bear scavengers of Europe, hyenas. Late Middle to Late Pleistocene (Mousterian to Gravettian) Ice Age spotted hyenas of Europe occupied mainly cave entrances as dens (communal/cub raising den types), but went deeper for scavenging into cave bear dens, or used in a few cases branches/diagonal shafts (i.e. prey storage den type). In most of those dens, about 20% of adult to 80% of bear cub remains have large carnivore damage. Hyenas left bones in repeating similar tooth mark and crush damage stages, demonstrating a butchering/bone cracking strategy. The femora of subadult cave bears are intermediate in damage patterns, compared to the adult ones, which were fully crushed to pieces. Hyenas produced round–oval puncture marks in cub femora only by the bone-crushing premolar teeth of both upper and lower jaw. The punctures/tooth impact marks are often present on both sides of the shaft of cave bear cub femora and are simply a result of non-breakage of the slightly calcified shaft compacta. All stages of femur puncturing to crushing are demonstrated herein, especially on a large cave bear population from a German cave bear den.
“…As is now well known, Aurignacian humans lived in Europe together with the last and largest cave bear species U. ingressus [ 16 , 18 , 21 , 23 , 58 , 59 ]. At a few cave sites in Europe, hunting of cave bears with propulsory spears is documented for the Aurignacians–Gravettians [ 5 , 22 , 23 , 57 ]. Therefore, the ‘pseudo-bone flutes’ originate from both smaller Ursus spelaeus subsp.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The bone crusher of longbones was only the Ice Age spotted hyena, which produced round/oval puncture marks on cave bear cub bones by the bone crushing premolar teeth, i.e. ‘bone flute holes’ (composed and adapted from [ 4 , 14 , 15 , 22 , 23 ]; illustrations G. Teichmann). Figure 3.…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…figures 2 and 3 ). However, the main ‘bone destructor’ is known to be the European Ice Age spotted hyena [ 19 ] ( figure 2 ), with cave bear bone damage first understood at the overlapping hyena den (cave entrance) and cave bear den of the Perick Caves [ 50 – 52 ], with newer proof at Sophie's Cave [ 21 , 22 ], and Hermann's Cave [ 16 ] or Zoolithen Cave [ 18 ] and herein best demonstrated and newly added for the Weiße Kuhle Cave ( figures 3 , 4 , 6 and 7 ).…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…spelaeus [ 54 ] Sophie's Cave (D) MIS 3–5d (?e) large cave bear den/short-term hyena den at entrance P. l. spelaea, C. c. spelaea, C. lupus cf. spelaeus [ 18 , 19 , 21 , 22 ] Große Teufels Cave (D) MIS 3–5d large cave bear den/short-term wolf and ?hyena den at entrance P. l. spelaea, C. c. spelaea, C. lupus cf. spelaeus [ 18 , 19 ], herein Oase Cave (Ro) MIS 3–5d large cave bear den/Aurignacian skull find site C. c. spelaea, C. lupus subsp.…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…(2) Femur from Keppler Cave, Germany (photos adapted from [ 4 ]; SMM collection). (3) Femur from Sophie's Cave, Germany (photos adapted from [ 22 ]; SMM collection). (4) Femur from Divje Babe Cave 1—‘the Neanderthal bone flute holotype’, Slovenia (photos from NMLS collection).…”
Punctured extinct cave bear femora were misidentified in southeastern Europe (Hungary/Slovenia) as ‘Palaeolithic bone flutes’ and the ‘oldest Neanderthal instruments’. These are not instruments, nor human made, but products of the most important cave bear scavengers of Europe, hyenas. Late Middle to Late Pleistocene (Mousterian to Gravettian) Ice Age spotted hyenas of Europe occupied mainly cave entrances as dens (communal/cub raising den types), but went deeper for scavenging into cave bear dens, or used in a few cases branches/diagonal shafts (i.e. prey storage den type). In most of those dens, about 20% of adult to 80% of bear cub remains have large carnivore damage. Hyenas left bones in repeating similar tooth mark and crush damage stages, demonstrating a butchering/bone cracking strategy. The femora of subadult cave bears are intermediate in damage patterns, compared to the adult ones, which were fully crushed to pieces. Hyenas produced round–oval puncture marks in cub femora only by the bone-crushing premolar teeth of both upper and lower jaw. The punctures/tooth impact marks are often present on both sides of the shaft of cave bear cub femora and are simply a result of non-breakage of the slightly calcified shaft compacta. All stages of femur puncturing to crushing are demonstrated herein, especially on a large cave bear population from a German cave bear den.
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