Taphonomy of an excavated striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) den in Arabia: implications for paleoecology and prehistory

Studies of modern carnivore accumulations of bone (i.e., neo-taphonomy) are crucial for interpreting fossil accumulations in the archaeological and paleontological records. Yet, studies in arid regions have been limited in both number and detailed taphonomic data, prohibiting our understanding of ca...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archaeological and anthropological sciences 2021-08, Vol.13 (8), Article 139
Main Authors: Stewart, Mathew, Andrieux, Eric, Clark-Wilson, Richard, Vanwezer, Nils, Blinkhorn, James, Armitage, Simon J., al Omari, Abdulaziz, Zahrani, Badr, Alqahtani, Mesfer, Al-Shanti, Mahmoud, Zalmout, Iyad, Al-Mufarreh, Yahya S. A., Alsharekh, Abdullah M., Boivin, Nicole, Petraglia, Michael D., Groucutt, Huw S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accumulation
Animals
Anthropology
Archaeology
Arid regions
Arid zones
Behavior
Behavior modification
Bones
Chemistry/Food Science
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Ecology
Fossils
Geography
Geology
Life Sciences
Livestock
Original Paper
Paleoecology
Paleontology
Prehistoric era
Science
Taphonomy
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Summary:Studies of modern carnivore accumulations of bone (i.e., neo-taphonomy) are crucial for interpreting fossil accumulations in the archaeological and paleontological records. Yet, studies in arid regions have been limited in both number and detailed taphonomic data, prohibiting our understanding of carnivore bone-accumulating and -modifying behavior in dry regions. Here, we present a taphonomic analysis of an impressive carnivore-accumulated bone assemblage from the Umm Jirsan lava tube in the Harrat Khaybar region, Saudi Arabia. The size and composition of the bone accumulation, as well as the presence of hyena skeletal remains and coprolites, suggest that the assemblage was primarily accumulated by striped hyena ( Hyaena hyaena ). Our findings (1) identify potentially useful criteria for distinguishing between accumulations generated by different species of hyenas; (2) emphasize the need for neo-taphonomic studies for capturing the full variation in carnivore bone-accumulating and modifying behavior; (3) suggest that under the right settings, striped hyena accumulations can serve as good proxies for (paleo)ecology and livestock practices; and (4) highlight the potential for future research at Umm Jirsan, as well as at the numerous nearby lava tube systems. We encourage continued neo-taphonomic efforts in regions important in human prehistory, particularly in arid zones, which have received little research attention.
ISSN:1866-9557
1866-9565
DOI:10.1007/s12520-021-01365-6