Characterising leopard as taphonomic agent through the use of micro-photogrammetric reconstruction of tooth marks and pit to score ratio

Abstract

Leopards have been the focus of taphonomic research due to their capacity to create bone accumulations, prey on some hominin groups or potentially provide scavenging opportunities to early hominins. Some of the variables explored to characterise felids as taphonomic agents have presented problems of equifinality, such as the frequency of tooth marks on long bone shafts or the dimensions of tooth pits and scores. Recently, new methodologies based on microphotogrammetry and geometric morphometrics have been developed for the morphologic analysis of taphonomic marks, such as tooth marks. Through a review of Bob Brain’s neotaphonomic collection, the present study applies these new techniques to reconstruct leopard tooth marks and compare these with tooth marks from lions and spotted hyenas. Along with this, the ratio pit to score, a taphonomic variable previously characterised in lions and spotted hyenas, has been analysed. Results show that tooth marks inflicted by leopards, spotted hyenas and lions can be statistically differentiated based on their morphology. On the other hand, the ratio pit to score inflicted by the leopard is closer to hyenas.