Late Pleistocene giant short‐faced bears, mammoths, and large carcass scavenging in the Saltville Valley of Virginia, USA

Abstract

The Saltville Valley of southwestern Virginia contains an abundance of extinct Late Pleistocene megafauna. Recent excavations in the valley produced two particularly notable discoveries, the remains of a scavenged mammoth (Mammuthussp.) and a giant short‐faced bear (Arctodus simus). The bear is the first carnivoran record from Saltville, and its large dental dimensions, dentary proportions, and exceptionally short‐face, evince an exceedingly powerful bite for this individual. Mammoth remains are relatively abundant from Saltville, but the material described here preserves extreme examples of scavenging by carnivores. Based on comparisons with the feeding behavior and bone alteration patterns of extant hyenas, cats, wolves, and bears, we conclude that at least two types of large carnivorans scavenged this mammoth carcass. AMS radiocarbon dates of 14 510 ± 5514C yr BP on theMammuthusand 14 853 ± 5514C yr BP on theA. simusdemonstrate that they are nearly the same age. Very few direct radiocarbon dates onA. simushave been reported from the contiguous United States. The SaltvilleA. simusrepresents the most eastern date for the species, as well as the only date from the Appalachian Highlands.