Puncture game: let's play with the canines of carnivores

Abstract

- Predator teeth, especially canines, leave circular marks as pits and punctures on the bone surface of prey. The morphology and dimensions of puncture marks are related to different factors, both in terms of the predator itself (age, sex) and the nature of the impacted bone. The aim of this study is to examine the variability of puncture marks made by various predator species through the biometrical analysis of canines. Such an approach highlights the wide dimensional overlap and helps define the range of potential puncture production from smaller to larger carnivore species. The results draw attention to the use of simple measurements in the analysis of tooth marks on bone. Notwithstanding, more sophisticated multifactorial integrative approaches (predator and prey) are still needed.