• 作者：Jean-Baptiste Mallye ; David Cochard ; Vé ; ronique Laroul ; ie
• 关键词：Small carnivore ; Burrow ; Neotaphonomy ; Predation ; Marks
• 刊名：Annales de Paleontologie
• 出版年：2008
• 出版时间：July-September 2008
• 年：2008
• 卷：94
• 期：3
• 页码：187-208
• 全文大小：1635 K

Faunal remains from spoil heaps of two burrows inhabited by small carnivores (fox and badger) are analysed from a taphonomical point of view. This analysis provides characteristics for bone accumulation produced by small carnivores and will be a powerful tool for deciphering site formation about the occupational alternation of small carnivores and humans. Identified species were grouped by size classes. Faunal spectrum is composed by varied species of microfauna (70 % ), mesofauna (30 % ). Macromammal remains are under represented (less than 1 % ) and come from scavenged carcasses. Predators and consumed species are compared on the basis of the skeletal part representation, age classes and recording of predation marks (gnawed and digested bones). Skeletal part representation shows that all taxons exhibit a low-representation of axial skeleton and autopodial bones. Predators show a high representation of hind limb bones and a low representation of the fore limb bones whereas consumed species exhibit a reverse pattern. Mortality curve analysis provides an attritional profile for carnivores and helps for the establishment of the season of occupation of the burrow. Adults largely dominate consumed species. Moreover, predation marks are found in 1 % of the carnivores’ bones and from 15 % to more than 40 % on prey bones. The large-sized prey bones only wear gnawed marks (20 % ) and anthropic marks (10–20 % ) whereas microfaunal remains exhibits more digested marks (40 % ) than gnawing stigmata (5 % ). Medium-sized animals bones wear both marks and with the same proportions (10–15 % ).