Fate and preservation of the Late Pleistocene cave bears from Niedźwiedzia Cave in Poland, through taphonomy, pathology, and geochemistry

Abstract

This comprehensive study examines fossil remains from Niedźwiedzia Cave in the Eastern Sudetes, offering detailed insights into the palaeobiology and adversities encountered by the Pleistocene cave bear Ursus spelaeus ingressus. Emphasising habitual cave use for hibernation and a primarily herbivorous diet, the findings attribute mortality to resource scarcity during hibernation and habitat fragmentation amid climate shifts. Taphonomic analysis indicates that the cave was extensively used by successive generations of bears, virtually unexposed to the impact of predators. The study also reveals that alkaline conditions developed in the cave during the post-depositional taphonomic processes. Mortality patterns, notably among juveniles, imply dwindling resources, indicative of environmental instability. Skeletal examination reveals a high incidence of forelimb fractures, indicating risks during activities like digging or confrontations. Palaeopathological evidence unveils vulnerabilities to tuberculosis, abscesses, rickets, and injuries, elucidating mobility challenges. The cave’s silts exhibit a high zinc concentration, potentially derived from successive bear generations consuming zinc-rich plants. This study illuminates the lives of late cave bears, elucidating unique environmental hurdles faced near their species’ end.

Analysis of enamel defects in a cave bear maxillary molar, with remarks on incremental markings in bear enamel

“…The large number of skeletal remains available for study facilitated numerous studies on pathological changes or developmental abnormalities in cave bear bones and teeth (Abel & Kyrle, 1931;Capasso, 1998;Capasso & Caramiello, 1999;Esper, 1774;Kurtén, 1976;Marciszak et al, 2024;Nowakowski & Stefaniak, 2015;Rabeder et al, 2000;Tasnádi-Kubacska, 1962;Toledano et al, 2010;Withalm, 2004). Mostly, the pathological specimens were analyzed only macroscopically, and rather few studies addressed histological and/or radiological aspects of the skeletal and dental lesions (Capasso, 1998;Marciszak et al, 2024;Nowakowski & Stefaniak, 2015;Toledano et al, 2010).…”