Updates to the carnivore fauna from the Sima de los Huesos

The Sima de los Huesos site in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, northern Spain) is a Middle Pleistocene locality with the most important accumulation of humans in the European record for this age. In addition to the hominin collection, the Sima has provided numerous faunal remains. Here, we update the carnivoran mammal fauna from the Sima de los Huesos. The analyzed carnivoran fauna is taxonomically diverse consisting of 11 species from 9 genera and four families. The high taxonomic diversity of carnivorans at the site is interpreted as corresponding to high overall ecosystem productivity. A synthetic description of the carnivoran remains is presented adding new information on the biochronology of the carnivoran species assemblage and its paleoecological association with European Middle Pleistocene hominins. Because of their similarity in taphonomic setting and diets—that the carnivoran fauna and humans were found in the same place and had similar protein-rich diets—clarifying the paleontological and paleoecological context of these carnivorans permits a better understanding of the humans also found at this site

Estudio morfológico de los restos mandibulares del género Canis en el yacimiento holoceno de El Portalón (Sierra de Atapuerca). Implicaciones en la aparición del perro en la prehistoria

El Portalón de Cueva Mayor es uno de los yacimientos arqueo-paleontológicos holocenos más importantes de la Meseta Norte y forma parte del complejo kárstico de la Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos). La Edad del Bronce constituye un importante legado arqueo-paleontológico en la región central de la Península Ibérica. En este período se registran la mayor parte de los procesos de domesticación de fauna silvestre. Una de las especies propuestas para haber sido domesticada en este contexto es el lobo (Canis lupus). La falta de evidencias de un haplotipo específico en perros que permita distinguirlos a nivel molecular como ocurre con ganado bovino y caprino, hace imprescindible que el problema se aborde desde una perspectiva morfométrica. Por tanto, el objetivo de este trabajo es analizar características morfométricas en mandíbulas del género Canis del Bronce inicial–medio, y compararlas con perros y lobos modernos, con el objetivo de aportar conocimiento sobre el proceso de evolución de la forma silvestre a doméstica de la especie Canis lupus. Los resultados sugieren que las mandíbulas de El Portalón son más pequeñas en tamaño que la de los lobos modernos, sin embargo, conservan ciertas morfologías primitivas presentes en lobos en la rama mandibular y el M1

Long-term dog consumption during the Holocene at the Sierra de Atapuerca (Spain): case study of the El Portalón de Cueva Mayor site

Evidence of dog consumption at the El Portalón de Cueva Mayor site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain) from the Holocene is revealed for the first time. The taxonomical and taphonomical studies of the animal bones from the El Portalón site have been carried out. The morphological and metrical analyses indicate that 130 dog bone remains have been identified from the El Portalón site, including from the Neolithic (NISP = 23), Chalcolithic (Pre-Bell Beaker Chalcolithic and Bell Beaker Chalcolithic) (26), Early Bronze Age, Middle Bronze Age and Late Bronze Age (81). The anthropic evidence encompasses cut marks, fresh bone fractures, human tooth marks and fire modifications, thus constituting clear evidence of cynophagy, at least in the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age levels in different contexts (habitat and funerary) from the El Portalón site (Atapuerca, Burgos). Furthermore, the fire alterations on two bone remains from the Neolithic suggest likely dog consumption due to the domestic character of the stratigraphical units where these bone remains were found. The taphonomic evidence suggests that domestic dogs were, at least occasionally, part of the diet of the humans who inhabited the El Portalón site, a fact that might be caused either by food shortages and hunger or as dog meat was considered as a delicacy

Análisis morfométrico craneal y mandibular de Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758

Se sabe que el lobo convivió con los humanos desde tiempos remotos, pero cómo y cuándo se originó la domesticación sigue siendo parte de un debate abierto. El objetivo de esta investigación se centra en diferenciar características morfológicas entre el lobo (Canis lupus) y el perro (Canis lupus familiaris) con el fin de determinar los cambios evolutivos que ocurrieron en el proceso de domesticación. Estas diferencias se estudian en cráneos y mandíbulas de ejemplares fósiles y actuales utilizando análisis de morfometría tradicional y geométrica. Se utilizan fósiles de dos yacimientos pleistocenos (Grotta Romanelli, Italia; Předmostí, República Checa) como referencia para determinar esos cambios.It is known that the wolf has lived with humans since ancient times, but how and when the domestication originated is still part of an open discussion. The goal of this research is to differentiate the morphological characteristics between the wolf (Canis lupus) and the dog (Canis lupus familiaris) in order to determine the evolutive changes that happened during the domestication process. These differences are studied on skulls and jaws of fossils and current specimens through traditional morphometric and geometric analysis. Fossils from two different Pleistocene sites (Grotta Romanelli, Italy; Předmostí, Czech Republic) are used as a reference to establish the changes.Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEsubmitte

The skull shape of Canis lupus. A study of wolf and dog cranial morphology

The aim of this research is to analyse craniomandibular features in contemporary wolves and dogs in order to study evolutionary changes that are assumed to be related to domestication. We compared these modern canids with four fossils from different Upper Pleistocene (Grotta Romanelli, Terrasses de la Riera dels Canyars) and Holocene (Portalón) sites of the Mediterranean region. The specimens were analysed using both traditional and geometric (2D) morphometric techniques. Our results characterise wolves’ greater mandible size (dental series), greater cranial width and length, and less elongated snout.Ministerio de Economía y CompetitividadDepto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaSección Deptal. de Anatomía y Embriología (Veterinaria)Fac. de Ciencias GeológicasFac. de VeterinariaTRUEpu

Juan Labranz cave: a Quaternary deposit in the central Iberian Peninsula

Here we report the preliminary results from the 2015–19 s prospecting explorations, excavations, and research from Juan Labranz Cave, a new Quaternary palaeontological deposit rich in mammals that offers information on the faunal context of the southern sub-plateau. This cave is located on the border of the Iberian range, at the Sierra de Valdecabras, Cuenca, at 1.279 metres above sea level. This study includes the first georeferenced digital map of the cave and a preliminary analysis of its chronology, palynology, macro- and microvertebrate palaeontology, and taphonomy. The cave is interpreted as a hyena den, and this would represent one of the highest elevation cavities where the activity of this taxon is recorded. Moreover, we consider this site important and unique because it constitutes one of the very few Pleistocene cave sites in the southern sub-plateau. It is strategically located on the border between the Iberian range and the Tajo Tertiary Basin, at the Júcar River valley, which represents the only great natural corridor that covers hundreds of kilometres and connects two very important palaeoecological areas, the interior of the Iberian Peninsula and the Mediterranean basin