Top predators at war—Ice Age lions versus competing spotted hyenas

Abstract

AbstractIn the fossil record, 3.097 studied bones including 40 skulls of grown‐up individuals from 81 German, Czech and English and Spanish extant spotted hyena Crocuta crocuta spelaea den sites let to distinguish two main types of pathologies. Ageing pathologies in the form of arthritis are typical for elderly hyenas. Their strong tooth use or losses and canine damages due to intensive bone crushing made them finally defenceless. Bite trauma on the sagittal crests of the crania is the secure proof for battles between top predators: lions and hyenas. A full crest healing resulted in a strong convex‐deformed skull shape. Other complete upper/lower jaw bites made by lions are found at a hyena skeleton shoulder, in which scapulae are partly healed. This hyena died in its den cave finally; as such, it is known for another Ice Age spotted hyena that was found recently as a skeleton in a Spanish cave, but with a non‐healed strong sagittal crest bite trauma. The postcranial bite traumas in the Ice Age spotted hyenas are predominantly on the distal hind legs (tibia/fibula—68% of all traumas). This correlates to African relatives because spotted hyenas attack its guilt and enemies from “behind.”