Stable isotopic and mesowear reconstructions of paleodiet and habitat of the Middle and Late Pleistocene mammals in south-western Germany

Abstract

Teeth are the most informative remains in the fossil record due to their abundance and enamel structure, which is the hardest and most mineralised tissue, preserving well biochemical and mechanical features. Teeth occlusal wear signal (mesowear) and stable carbon isotope composition are reliable proxies for diet abrasiveness and habitat openness in ungulates, respectively. Both methods are rarely compared in paleohabitat reconstructions. We examined the relationship between stable isotopes and mesowear of large Pleistocene herbivores in south-western Germany for the first time and reported unpublished stable isotope data from Villa Seckendorff. We found significant differences in δ13C among individuals, exhibiting sharp versus round cusps and high versus low occlusal relief. The δ13C and mesowear correlation was significantly positive among the fossil assemblages but not among individuals because individuals varied in the amount of abrasive dietary material. Species with the same mesowear were rather flexible in habitat and plant communities’ exploitation. The woolly rhinoceros Coelodonta antiquitatis had the highest mesowear values, indicating abrasive grass-dominated diet, whereas Bos primigenius and Bison priscus demonstrated the highest δ13C values, indicating the most open environments. A negative correlation trend was indicated between mesowear and δ18O values and extrapolated temperature. Sympatric species demonstrated different mean δ13C and δ18O values, suggesting diet or habitat partitioning within a C3 plant ecosystem. Interestingly, temperate assemblages demonstrated more variation in δ13C and δ18O, revealing ecological flexibility and diversity and generalist features during the interglacial periods compared to glacial periods and boreal conditions.