3D Insights into the Effects of Captivity on Wolf Mastication and Their Tooth Marks; Implications in Ecological Studies of Both the Past and Present.

Abstract

Simple SummaryRecent years have seen major advances in the analysis of carnivore modifications to bone during feeding, based on the integration of 3D modeling and data science techniques, and with special attention being paid to tooth marks. From this perspective, carnivore tooth scores and pits have slowly converted into a protagonist in the identification of the carnivores producing them. The present study confronts the intra-species variability of tooth mark morphologies produced by Iberian wolves, taking into account not only different populations but also whether wild and captive wolves produce different shaped tooth marks. Here we show how, in the case of tooth scores, differences are notable and should thus be treated with caution. Further conclusions reveal that carnivore tooth pits are currently the most diagnostic elements for the study of carnivore feeding traces on bone, pending future studies that compare closely related taxa with sufficient intraspecific variability. In light of this, further investigation into the possible stress captivity may cause on these animals could be of great importance for both the study of past and present. If differences were to exist, these results could implicate a larger margin of error than previously perceived for some experimental samples, affecting both prehistoric and modern-day ecological studies.Human populations have been known to develop complex relationships with large carnivore species throughout time, with evidence of both competition and collaboration to obtain resources throughout the Pleistocene. From this perspective, many archaeological and palaeontological sites present evidence of carnivore modifications to bone. In response to this, specialists in the study of microscopic bone surface modifications have resorted to the use of 3D modeling and data science techniques for the inspection of these elements, reaching novel limits for the discerning of carnivore agencies. The present research analyzes the tooth mark variability produced by multiple Iberian wolf individuals, with the aim of studying how captivity may affect the nature of tooth marks left on bone. In addition to this, four different populations of both wild and captive Iberian wolves are also compared for a more in-depth comparison of intra-species variability. This research statistically shows that large canid tooth pits are the least affected by captivity, while tooth scores appear more superficial when produced by captive wolves. The superficial nature of captive wolf tooth scores is additionally seen to correlate with other metric features, thus influencing overall mark morphologies. In light of this, the present study opens a new dialogue on the reasons behind this, advising caution when using tooth scores for carnivore identification and contemplating how elements such as stress may be affecting the wolves under study.