Hominid exploitation of the environment and cave bear populations. The case of Ursus spelaeus Rosenmüller-Heinroth in Amutxate cave (Aralar, Navarra-Spain)

• Published in: Journal of human evolution Vol. 52; no. 1; pp. 1 - 15
• Main Authors: Torres, Trinidad, Ortiz, José E., Cobo, Rafael, de Hoz, Pedro, García-Redondo, Ana, Grün, Rainer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 2007; Elsevier
• Subjects: Age at death; Animal behaviour; Animals; Archanthropus and paleanthropus; Bears; Environment; Environment exploitation; Environmental studies; Fauna; Female; Fossils; Generalities; Habitats; Hibernation calendar; Hominid; Hominidae; Hominids; Human paleontology; Humans; Male; Methodology and general studies; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Organisation and history of research; Paleodontology; Prehistory and protohistory; Spain; Tooth - ultrastructure; Ursidae; Ursus spelaeus; Europe; Spain; Environment exploitation; Hibernation calendar; Hominid; Age at death; Ursus spelaeus; Bear; Case; Exploitation; Amino Acid Racemization; Cave; Profession; Open-air; Wear; Dentition; Environment; Population; Tooth
• ISSN: 0047-2484; 1095-8606
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.07.013

Cave bears (
Ursus deningeri and
U. spelaeus) and hominids (
Homo heidelbergensis,
H. neanderthalensis, and
H. sapiens) were potential competitors for environmental resources (subterranean and open air). Here, we examined the age at death of cave bear (
Ursus spelaeus Rosenmüller-Heinroth) specimens from Amutxate cave in order to shed light on the effect of resource sharing between cave bears and hominids. After studying dental wear of the deciduous and permanent dentitions, the ontogenetic development of mandibles, and incremental layers of cement (annuli), we defined five age groups differentiated by marked development and size gaps. Our findings indicate that after hibernating, bears abandoned the den, thereby leaving the subterranean environment (caves) free for temporary hominid occupation—this would explain the subtle traces of hominid presence in many dens. However, a simple calculation based on age at death of subadult and adult cave bear specimens in Amutxate cave, extrapolated to the whole cave area, showed that the area surrounding this cave hosted bears for at least 9,000 years. This length of habitation, quite similar to the time-span derived from amino acid racemization and electron spin resonance, indicates that bear populations in the Amutxate cave constituted a serious constraint for hominid exploitation of the environment.