Universität zu Köln

Dominguez-Rodrigo, Manuel, Egeland, Charles P., Cobo-Sanchez, Lucia, Baquedano, Enrique and Hulbert, Richard C., Jr. (2022). Sabertooth carcass consumption behavior and the dynamics of Pleistocene large carnivoran guilds. Sci Rep, 12 (1). BERLIN: NATURE PORTFOLIO. ISSN 2045-2322

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Abstract

Apex predators play an important role in the top-down regulation of ecological communities. Their hunting and feeding behaviors influence, respectively, prey demography and the availability of resources to other consumers. Among the most iconic-and enigmatic-terrestrial predators of the late Cenozoic are the Machairodontinae, a diverse group of big cats whose hypertrophied upper canines have earned them the moniker sabertooths. Many aspects of these animals' paleobiology, especially their prey preferences and carcass consumption behavior, remain unsettled. While skeletal anatomy, dental morphology and wear, and isotopic profiles provide important insights, the most direct way to resolve these issues is through the fossil remains of sabertooth prey. Here, we report on a taphonomic analysis of an early Pleistocene faunal assemblage from Haile 21A (Florida, USA) that preserves feeding damage from the lion-sized sabertooth Xenosmilus hodsonae. Patterns of tooth-marking and bone damage indicate that Xenosmilus fully defleshed the carcasses of their prey and even engaged in some minor bone consumption. This has important implications for Pleistocene carnivoran guild dynamics, including the carcass foraging behavior of the first stone-tool-using hominins.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Dominguez-Rodrigo, Manuel UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Egeland, Charles P. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Cobo-Sanchez, Lucia UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Baquedano, Enrique UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Hulbert, Richard C., Jr. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-683549
DOI:	10.1038/s41598-022-09480-7
Journal or Publication Title:	Sci Rep
Volume:	12
Number:	1
Date:	2022
Publisher:	NATURE PORTFOLIO
Place of Publication:	BERLIN
ISSN:	2045-2322
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language WOLF CANIS-LUPUS; OLDUVAI GORGE; TERRESTRIAL CARNIVORES; TAPHONOMIC ANALYSIS; BONE MODIFICATION; LA-BREA; ACTUALISTIC DATA; TOOTH BREAKAGE; LARGE MAMMALS; PLIOCENE Multiple languages Multidisciplinary Sciences Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/68354