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A study of dimensional differences of tooth marks (pits and scores) on bones modified by small and large carnivores

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Abstract

The use of tooth mark sizes to infer carnivore types when analyzing the modification of faunal assemblages has been criticized on the base of intense overlap in tooth mark size among differently sized carnivores. The present study analyzes this overlap and presents some critical explanations for it. This work is based on the largest collection of tooth pit dimensional data collected to date for some of the most relevant carnivore types. The study empirically shows that small and large carnivores can be clearly differentiated when using tooth pit size, with a higher discrimination when using tooth marks on dense shafts than on cancellous ends. It is argued that most previous studies of tooth mark sizes have reproduced a higher overlap probably because sample sizes were small, and experiments were carried out using small carcasses (which require a smaller bite force) or for a combination of factors.

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Acknowledgments

We thank J. Kerbis-Peterhans for having allowed one of us (MDR) access to the Maasai Mara hyena den collection. We thank F. Bárcena for having allowed JY access to the Campelo Montain wolf carcasses and S. Ripoll for carcasses processed by foxes in Ayllón. We are also indebted to two anonymous reviewers for their useful comments on an earlier draft of this paper. We also thank M. Prendergast for her comments and editorial suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Prehistory, Complutense University, Prof. Aranguren s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Miriam Andrés, José Yravedra & Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo

  2. IDEA (Instituto de Evolución en África), Museo de los Orígenes, Plaza de San Andrés 2, 28005, Madrid, Spain

    Agness O. Gidna & Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo

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  1. Miriam Andrés
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  2. Agness O. Gidna
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  3. José Yravedra
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  4. Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo
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Correspondence to Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo.

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Andrés, M., Gidna, A.O., Yravedra, J. et al. A study of dimensional differences of tooth marks (pits and scores) on bones modified by small and large carnivores. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 4, 209–219 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-012-0093-4

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