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A taphonomic study of the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus)

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Abstract

Carnivore taphonomy has been traditionally used for the interpretation of archaeological sites in order to discriminate human-generated or modified from non-anthropic bone assemblages. In most of this actualistic research, the focus has mainly been placed on hyenas and felids, neglecting other carnivores. This paper analyzes the taphonomic impact of the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) on equid bones and compares it with the bone modification patterns produced by other canids, such as wolves (Canis lupus) in order to compare medium-/large-sized canid variability on bone modification patterns and elaborate a referential framework which could be feasibly applied to the zooarchaeological record to detect canid intervention on archaeological assemblages in the past.

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Acknowledgments

Many thanks to Mr. Santiago Borragán, Chief Veterinary Officer and the staff of the felid section at Cabárceno Natural Park (Cantabria), for kindly facilitating research on African wild dogs and for collaborating with us. They were most helpful with the feeding of these canids and the recovery of the bones. Finally, we thank Aixa Vidal for the translation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Prehistory, Complutense University of Madrid, C/Profesor Aranguren, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    J. Yravedra, M. Andrés & M. Domínguez-Rodrigo

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

    M. Domínguez-Rodrigo

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  1. J. Yravedra
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  2. M. Andrés
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  3. M. Domínguez-Rodrigo
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Correspondence to J. Yravedra.

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Yravedra, J., Andrés, M. & Domínguez-Rodrigo, M. A taphonomic study of the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus). Archaeol Anthropol Sci 6, 113–124 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-013-0164-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-013-0164-1

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