Large ungulates mobility and Neanderthal subsistence behaviours: A preliminary tooth microwear analysis

Abstract

In this paper, we consider human mobility through their herbivore prey. Human mobility and territorial management are driven by many factors, including the specific acquisition of targeted resources, depending on their behaviour and their availability in the nearby environment. Animal acquisition for subsistence requires specific Human group organization. The observation of micro-wear on herbivore teeth can provide information about the relative duration of human occupation in a given stratigraphic level. The comparison of duration accumulation patterns from archaeological and paleontological sequences contributes to identifying specifically human behaviours. For this preliminary study, we focus on Equus and Bos from the South of France between the Lower Palaeolithic and the Middle Palaeolithic, as the first taxon is often well represented in Palaeolithic sites while the second is less common. We worked on 17 fossil populations from archaeological and paleontological sites. This study shows different patterns for human and hyena acquisition of horses. The pluri-seasonal pattern for this species suggests selective acquisition of horses by human groups and more opportunistic procurement for Bos. This refines the hypothesis of analogous hyena and pre-Neanderthal behaviour and underlines the importance of paleontological sites for defining human-specific behavioural traits.