Predators hunt and consume their prey in a different manner. Consequently, variability on the traces they left on bones might be noticed in accordance with the way in which animals are hunted, processed and ingested. In the present work, we propose prey size as a critical factor when analyzing predator accumulations from a taphonomic perspective. To test this hypothesis, we focus on a modern Eagle owl (Bubo bubo) accumulation of pellets, with specific interest on bird size. As a result, we have observed that bones present greater damage when increasing the size of prey. This is especially evident when analyzing fragmentation and mechanical modification on bones. To evaluate the implementation of this work, the results are compared with another accumulation from the Spanish Pyrenees (Cau del Duc) that apparently present similar characteristics.
| Subject : | : | oral |
| Language of text | : | English |
| Topics | : | 3-2 Modern analogs of non-human predators |
| PDF version | : |  PDF version |
