Osteophagia and dental wear in herbivores: actualistic data and archaeological evidence |
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Authors: | Isabel Cáceres Montserrat Esteban-Nadal Maria Bennàsar M Dolores Marín Monfort M Dolores Pesquero Yolanda Fernández-Jalvo |
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Institution: | 1. Area de Prehistoria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain;2. IPHES, Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, C/ Marcel.lí Domingo s/n – Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007 Tarragona, Spain;3. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain;4. Fundación Conjunto Paleontológico de Teruel-Dinópolis, Avda. Sagunto s/n, 44002 Teruel, Spain |
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Abstract: | The ability of herbivores to produce damage in bones and antlers has recently been described by the present authors (Cáceres et al., 2011), showing several cases of modified bones and various stages of bone modification due to osteophagic behavior by herbivores. Herbivores chew and eat bones and antlers to make up for mineral scarcity in their diet. In this paper we describe how the consumption of bone and antlers by herbivore can result in distinct differential tooth wear, breakage and the loss of some dental pieces. This damage has also been identified in fossils. These preliminary results are especially relevant in archaeological contexts, because this marked tooth wear can be mistaken for dental disease or lead to the incorrect assignment of age to the animals. |
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Keywords: | Dental wear Osteophagia Taphonomy Actualistic studies Atapuerca sites Abric Romaní Bosque de Riofrí o |
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