Precision and Consistency of the Taphonomic Signature of Predation by Crowned Hawk-Eagles (Stephanoaetus coronatus) in Kibale National Park, Uganda

Abstract

Abstract Prey material, which was collected from beneath the nests of two pairs of crowned hawk-eagles (Stephanoaetus coronatus) in the Ngogo study area, Kibale National Park, Uganda, was analyzed to identify the taphonomic features diagnostic of eagle predation. Material from a recent three-year collection interval was compared to an earlier three-year collection subsample to determine signal consistency over time. The bulk of the assemblage is comprised of cercopithecoid monkey remains, reflecting the taxonomic composition of the Ngogo area. Taxonomic composition of the assemblage remains highly consistent over the collection period. Bone survivability and fragmentation profiles, as well as damage patterns, also were investigated. Crowned hawk-eagles inflict much less damage to prey skeletons than do mammalian carnivores. Crania, scapulae, and hindlimb elements are most likely to survive predation by crowned hawk-eagles and to be concentrated at nest sites, but these elements (especially crania) show ag...