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Late Pleistocene Eemian hyena and steppe lion feeding strategies on their largest prey—Palaeoloxodon antiquus Falconer and Cautley 1845 at the straight-tusked elephant graveyard and Neanderthal site Neumark-Nord Lake 1, Central Germany

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Abstract

The scavenging activities of hyenas and lions at the Neumark-Nord Lake 1 (Central Germany) site on straight tusk elephant carcasses is commonly documented by slight bone damages and initial skeleton partitioning. Canine bite marks are found at several joints of elephant long bones, as well as on the vertebrae and skulls. Deep bite and scratch marks from 5 to 7 mm in width made by large carnivore canine teeth (Panthera leo spelaea, Crocuta crocuta spelaea) on the ventral vertebral columns and pelvises of two Palaeoloxodon antiquus straight-tusked elephant skeletons suggest that the intestines and inner organs were consumed by both large lion/hyena predators as is commonly observed when modern African lions and spotted hyenas feed on contemporary elephant carcasses. A scavenging strategy can be demonstrated using 24 partly preserved Palaeoloxodon skeletons, where Ice Age spotted hyenas appear to be the main scavenger (95 %) and sole skeleton decompositor such as bone destructor. While Crocuta may feed anywhere on an elephant carcass, they are known to specialize to eat the complete feet, whereas scavenging from the anus into the body cavity (intestine/internal organ feeding) is more typical of lions. Shallow water at Neumark-Nord Lake 1 prevented hyenas from completely scavenging elephants; thus, bone damage at this site was constrained to initial stages of destruction and final carcass partitioning by high water stands and floods.

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Acknowledgments

Access to the bone material from the Landesmuseum Halle/Saale was possible by the support of the head of the museum Prof. Dr. H. Meller. PD Dr. T. Weber gave information to the Eemian aged Neanderthal elephant butchering places Lehringern and Gröbern. The museums head of the Naturkundemuseum Siegsdorf, Dr. R. Darga, kindly helped to get information and access to the Upper Pleistocene lion skeleton of Siegsdorf (Bavaria, South Germany). Photograph credits by J. Haunert and P. Oxford, the latter of whom permitted the use by Nature Picture Photo library, especially T. Aldred. Finally, I thank the two reviewers, such as Dr. M. Domínguez-Rodrigo, for their helpful comments onto the first draft.

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    Cajus G. Diedrich

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Diedrich, C.G. Late Pleistocene Eemian hyena and steppe lion feeding strategies on their largest prey—Palaeoloxodon antiquus Falconer and Cautley 1845 at the straight-tusked elephant graveyard and Neanderthal site Neumark-Nord Lake 1, Central Germany. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 6, 271–291 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-013-0150-7

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