When Neanderthals used cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) remains: Bone retouchers from unit 5 of Scladina Cave (Belgium)

Abrams, Grégory; Bello, Silvia M.; Modica, Kévin Di; Pirson, Stéphane; Bonjean, Dominique

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2013.10.022

Cited by 80 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…or Coelodonta sp. ), and a giant bovid (Praeovibos sp., Bison sp., Symbos sp., or Bos p.) (16,17). In North America, the species richness of megaherbivores was even greater, in part due to the immigration of giant ground sloths from South America at least 2.5 million years ago (18).…”

Section: Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of large terrestrial carnivores on Pleistocene ecosystems

Valkenburgh

Hayward

Ripple

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

117

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Large mammalian terrestrial herbivores, such as elephants, have dramatic effects on the ecosystems they inhabit and at high population densities their environmental impacts can be devastating. Pleistocene terrestrial ecosystems included a much greater diversity of megaherbivores (e.g., mammoths, mastodons, giant ground sloths) and thus a greater potential for widespread habitat degradation if population sizes were not limited. Nevertheless, based on modern observations, it is generally believed that populations of megaherbivores (>800 kg) are largely immune to the effects of predation and this perception has been extended into the Pleistocene. However, as shown here, the species richness of big carnivores was greater in the Pleistocene and many of them were significantly larger than their modern counterparts. Fossil evidence suggests that interspecific competition among carnivores was relatively intense and reveals that some individuals specialized in consuming megaherbivores. To estimate the potential impact of Pleistocene large carnivores, we use both historic and modern data on predator–prey body mass relationships to predict size ranges of their typical and maximum prey when hunting as individuals and in groups. These prey size ranges are then compared with estimates of juvenile and subadult proboscidean body sizes derived from extant elephant growth data. Young proboscideans at their most vulnerable age fall within the predicted prey size ranges of many of the Pleistocene carnivores. Predation on juveniles can have a greater impact on megaherbivores because of their long interbirth intervals, and consequently, we argue that Pleistocene carnivores had the capacity to, and likely did, limit megaherbivore population sizes.

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Section: Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of large terrestrial carnivores on Pleistocene ecosystems

Valkenburgh

Hayward

Ripple

et al. 2015

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

117

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“…To date an increasing number of studies have benefited of AIFM confirming this device as an important advance in 3D data collecting and providing a wide range of applications in morphological studies of surface modifications. Mostly archeology and anthropology sciences took advantage of AIFM (Bello et al ., 2008; Bello et al ., ; Abrams et al ., ; Macdonald, ), as showed more recently by two interesting studies on human rituals in upper Paleolithic and in Mesolithic (Bello et al ., ; Schulting et al ., ). To summarize is evident that AIFM was and continues to be a key element widely used for making less obscure behaviours and actions of past peoples.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 74%

3D profilometric characterization of the aged skin surface using a skin replica and alicona Mex software

Pirisinu

Mazzarello

2015

Scanning

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The skin's surface is characterized by a network of furrows and wrinkles showing different height and depth. Different studies showed that processes such as aging, photo aging and cancer may alter dermal ultrastructure surface. The quantitative analysis of skin topography is a key point for understanding health condition of the skin. Here, for the first time, the skin fine structure was studied via a new approach where replica method was combined with Mex Alicona software and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The skin texture of cheek and forearm were studied in 120 healthy sardinian volunteers. Patients were divided into three different aged groups. The skin areas of interest were reproduced by the silicone replica method, each replica was explored by SEM and digital images were taken. By using Mex Alicona software were created 3D imagine and a list of 24 surface texture parameters were obtained, of these the most representative were chosen in order to assess eventual changes between groups. The skin's texture of forearm and cheek showed a gradually loss of its typical polyhedric mesh with increasing age group. In particular, the photoexposition increased loss of dermal texture. At today, Alicona mex technology was exclusively used on palaeontology studies, our results showed that a deep analyze of skin texture was performed and support Mex alicona software as a new promising tool on dermatological research. This new analytical approach provided an easy and fast process to appreciate skin texture and its changes, by using high quality 3D dimension images. SCANNING 38:213-220, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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“…The much more extensive literature on bone retouchers shows that the damage patterns are more-or-less analagous (e.g., Patou- Mathis and Schwab, 2002;Castel et al, 2003;Verna and d'Errico, 2011;Jéquier et al, 2012;Mallye et al, 2012;Abrams et al, 2014). For this reason we follow the terminology of Mallye et al (2012), who defined 'used area' as the zone where the knapping-marks are concentrated.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Europe and Asia, bones used as retouchers have been recovered from numerous Neanderthal sites (e.g. Henri-Martin, 1906;Chase, 1990;Auguste, 2002;Griggo, 2002;Veselski, 2008;Conard et al, 2012;Jéquier et al 2012;Mallye et al, 2012;Abrams et al, 2014;Daujeard et al, 2014;Romandini et al, 2014) and, increasingly from Lower Palaeolithic sites (Rosell et al, 2011;Blasco et al, 2013;Rosell et al, 2015;van Kolfschoten et al, submitted). The limits of modern knapping experiments are highlighted by the much wider range of knapping tools found with Upper Palaeolithic and later lithic industries in Eurasia and North America; these include a various types of hammers, retouchers and punches made from a range of raw materials including bone, teeth (including ivory) and antler (Bourlon, 1907;Bordes, 1974;Saunders et al, 1991;Averbouch and Bodu, 2002;Haynes, 2002;Leroy-Prost, 2002;Castel et al, 2003;Steguweit and Trnka, 2008;Tartar, 2012;Évora, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Within the past few decades, new techniques of analysis and in-depth studies have reexamined the question of Palaeolithic bone retouchers, by highlighting the distinction between natural damage and knapping marks (Patou-Mathis, 2002;Mallye et al, 2012;Tartar, 2012;Abrams et al, 2014), with experimental studies demonstrating how these tools were used to work stone tools (Chase, 1990;Vincent, 1993;Armand and Delagnes, 1998;Karavanic and Sokec, 2003;Mallye et al, 2012). The recent resurgence in the study of retouchers is evident from the increase number of publications and research groups undertaking experimentation and systematic descriptions of bone retouchers.…”

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confidence: 99%

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A newly discovered antler flint-knapping hammer and the question of their rarity in the Palaeolithic archaeological record: Reality or bias?

Bello

Delbarre

Groote

et al. 2016

Quaternary International

Self Cite

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The use of soft (bone, antler, tooth and wood) hammers and retouchers is a key innovation in early stone tool technology, first appearing in the archaeological record with Lower Palaeolithic handaxe industries (e.g. Boxgrove, UK ~ 500 kya). Although organic knapping tools were undoubtedly a component of early human toolkits and are essential, for example, for the manufacture of finely-flaked handaxes, Mousterian scrapers and Upper Palaeolithic blades tools, such archaeological finds are exceptionally rare. In this study, we present qualitative and quantitative analyses (focus variation optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, micro-CT scanning and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy), to characterise use-damage on an antler base from Laugerie Haute (France). This specimen was originally identified as a waste-product from splinter manufacture, and the use-damage appears to have been missed. The new analysis shows that prior to being used as a flint-knapping percussor, the red deer antler had been further

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When Neanderthals used cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) remains: Bone retouchers from unit 5 of Scladina Cave (Belgium)

Cited by 80 publications

References 28 publications

The impact of large terrestrial carnivores on Pleistocene ecosystems

The impact of large terrestrial carnivores on Pleistocene ecosystems

3D profilometric characterization of the aged skin surface using a skin replica and alicona Mex software

A newly discovered antler flint-knapping hammer and the question of their rarity in the Palaeolithic archaeological record: Reality or bias?

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