The avian remains from El Juyo, Lower Magdalenian Cantabrian Spain

El Juyo is one of the Cantabrian sites of Iberia known from long ago for its important Lower Magdalenian sequence. The present study reports the results of the zooarchaeological and taphonomic analysis of the avian remains recovered at the site, which complements the archaeological and palaeoecological data already avail-able. The remains recovered are limited, but they seem to indicate that humans were the main accumulating agent in the site, with sporadic presence of owls' activity. Additionally, humans could have used birds for other purposes than as a dietary resource, as suggested by cut marks observed on two wing bones.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The exceptional presence of megaloceros giganteus in North-Eastern Iberia and Its palaeoecological implications: the case of Teixoneres cave (Moià, Barcelona, Spain)

In this article we announce the discovery of the first remains of Megaloceros giganteus found in Catalonia (north-eastern Iberia) from the Late Pleistocene: a fragment of maxillary. Dated between 35,000 and 37,000 cal BP, it is also among the youngest occurrence of this taxon in the Iberian Peninsula, while its last known occurrence is dated to the Neolithic period. Through a comparison with the giant deer of the northern Pyrenees, we analyzed the herbivore guilds in which this taxon was associated to understand the context in which it was able to enter the Iberian Peninsula. By comparing its diet with those of specimens from Northern Europe, we detail the ecological adaptations of this taxon in this new environment. We suggest that Megaloceros accompanied the migrations of cold-adapted species by taking advantage of the opening of corridors on both sides of the Pyrenees during the coldest periods of the Late Pleistocene. The diet of the Iberian individuals, which is oriented towards abrasive plants, suggests an adaptation to a different ecological niche than that found in Northern European individuals. The northern Iberian Peninsula may have been an extreme in the geographical expansion of M. giganteus. More specimens will be needed in the future to establish the variability of the southern Megaloceros populations.ARQ001SOL183-2022 and 2021-SGR-01237; Projects PID2019-103987GB-C31; (CEX2019-000945-M); PID2020-114462GB-I00; PID2019-104949GB-I00; RYC2019-026386-I; CEX2019-000945-M; Grant 101024230info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

New quantitative method for dental wear analysis of small mammals

The application of dental wear study to murids has always been ruled out because of their omnivorous diet, which does not leave significant wear on the dentition. Nevertheless, in our work we select Apodemus sylvaticus (wood mouse) as the object of study for several reasons: its seasonal diet, its ability to resist the gastric juices of predators, the fact that it has not undergone major morphological changes since its appearance 3 million years ago, and its widespread distribution throughout much of Europe and part of Africa. The importance of this work lies in the modifications we make to the dental wear methodology for its application to murids. These enable us to obtain quantitative data on the entire tooth surface. The sample chosen was a total of 75 lower first molars from two different archaeological sites: Teixoneres cave and Xaragalls cave. The chronology of the samples chosen ranges from Marine Isotope Stages 5-3. The data obtained reveal that the part of the tooth that shows most wear is the distal part (entoconid). Furthermore, the results provide us with relevant information on the types of accumulations of remains in the caves (short vs. long term), as well as on the seasonality of Neanderthal occupations during the Upper Pleistocene (MIS5-3) of the northeastern Iberian Peninsula.Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (FJC2018-038259-1). F.R., R.B. and J.R. research is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the projects PID2019- 103987 GB-C31, PGC2018-093925-B-C32 and PID2019-104949 GB-I00, and the ‘María de Maeztu’ excellence accreditation (CEX2019-000945-M), by the Generalitat de Catalunya and AGAUR projects CLT009/18/00054, CLT009/18/00055 and 2017-SGR-836. R.B. is supported by a Ramón y Cajal research contract by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (RYC2019-026386-I)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Speciated mechanism in Quaternary cervids (Cervus and Capreolus) on both sides of the Pyrenees: a multidisciplinary approach

Cervids, and especially the red deer Cervus elaphus, are among the most regularly and abundantly recorded ungulates in Pleistocene/Paleolithic bone assemblages. Numerous Pleistocene or Holocene subspecies have been described, reinforcing their status as essential proxies for environmental and chronological reconstructions. Despite this, at the beginning of the Late Pleistocene, their diversity seems to have decreased. In this study, we analysed teeth and some postcranial elements of Cervus and Capreolus from north-eastern Iberia and south-eastern France to clarify their morphological characteristics and ecological adaptations. We describe a transitional form in north-eastern Iberia between the western European stock and the current form C. e. hispanicus. Such sub-speciation processes are connected to biogeographical factors, as there were limited exchanges between north-eastern Iberia and the northern Pyrenees, whereas the north-western part of the peninsula seems more connected to the northern Pyrenees. The anatomical plasticity (morpho-functional adaptation and body size) of red deer is connected to dietary flexibility (dental meso- and microwear). Conversely, Capreolus shows greater morphological and ecological homogeneity. Body size variations seem directly correlated with their ability to browse throughout the year. The marked differences between the eco-bio-geographical responses of the two taxa can be explained by their habitat selection.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Prey size as a critical factor for bird bone taphonomy in Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) pellets

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Desvendando as histórias tafonômicas dos Ossos de pássaros do pleistoceno médio camada VIII de Grotte Vaufrey, França

In recent years, several studies have significantly changed our knowledge concerning the use of birds by Neanderthals. However, what remains to be clarified is the geographical and chronological variability of this human behaviour. The present case study provides new information on this topic/debate. The Grotte Vaufrey was discovered during the 1930s and was excavated during different periods. Work carried out by J.-P. Rigaud during the 1980s motivated many multidisciplinary studies in the cave, but accurate studies were not focused on avian remains. In this work, we provide new data on the bird remains from layer VIII (MIS 7), which is the richest among all the sequences and which has an important Mousterian component. Corvids are predominant in the assemblage and are associated with medium-sized birds and small Passeriformes, among others. Most of the remains present modern fractures, which hinder taphonomic interpretation. However, some alterations associated with raptor or mammalian carnivore activities, together with the anatomical representation and age profile, suggest a non-human accumulation of the majority of the bird remains, especially in the case of corvids that naturally died in the cave. However, at least some bones show evidence of anthropic activity, suggesting the occasional use of large- and medium-sized birds by human populations.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

What is the taphonomic agent responsible for the avian accumulation? An approach from the Middle and early Late Pleistocene assemblages from Payre and Abri des Pêcheurs (Ardèche, France)

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A rallying point for different predators: the avian record from a Late Pleistocene sequence of Grotte des Barasses II (Balazuc, Ardèche, France)

International audienceThe presence of processed birds in the archeologicalfaunal record is considered key to assessing human dietary evolution.Taphonomic studies on birds from sites older thanMarine Isotope Stage (MIS) 2 have become relevant in the lastfew years, leading to the proposal of more complex scenarios ofhuman subsistence. Several works have demonstrated directevidence of bird consumption by Homo prior to anatomicallymodern humans in Europe; however, others support thehypothesis of non-anthropogenic bird accumulations. This hasled to the necessity of determining what elements or factorscause the human exploitation of birds in some archeologicalsites before the end of the Pleistocene. The Grotte desBarasses II site is located within this framework. Short-termhuman occupations have been attested by the presence of lithictools and processed macrofaunal remains. Additionally, a smallassemblage of bird bones has also been recovered. Here, wepresent a detailed taphonomic study with the aim of exploringpossible relationships between these avian taxa and human occupations.Despite the fact that Neanderthals inhabited the cave,avian specimens show damage pointing to different causativeagents. Direct evidence (digestion, gnawing) indicates thatmammalian carnivores and nocturnal raptors were mainly involvedin the accumulation of bird bones. We propose somefactors that might determine whether or not small game wasexploited in this specific locality and emphasize the importanceof such analytical approaches in the general interpretations ofthe Pleistocene sites

A deep learning-based taphonomical approach to distinguish the modifying agent in the late pleistocene site of toll cave (Barcelona, Spain)

One of the most widely used methods to associate lithic tools and bone assemblage in archaeological sites is the identification of cut-marks. However, the identification of these marks is still problematic in some localities on account of the similarities with the modifications generated by non-human processes, including biostratinomic and post-depositional bone surface modifications. Toll Cave (Barcelona, Spain), with chronologies between 47.310 BP and 69.800 BP, is one of the case studies where the cut-marks could easily be confused with abundant grooves generated by the dragging of sedimentary particles (e.g. trampling), but also with the scores produced by carnivores. In this work, we present the results obtained from applying Deep Learning (DL) models to the taphonomic analysis of the site. This methodological approach has allowed us to distinguish the bone surface modifications with 97.5% reliability. We show the usefulness of this technique to help solve many taphonomic equifinality problems in the archaeological assemblages, as well as the need to implement new approaches to eliminate subjectivity in the descriptions of bone damage and make more accurate inferences about the past.PID2019-103987GB-C31; PID2022-138590NB-C41; CLT009/22/000045, 2021 SGR 01238 and 2021 SGR 01239 ; RYC2019-026386-I; PID2020-114462GB-I00; CEX2019-000945-Minfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio