Dental adaptations and diet of cave hyena Crocuta spelaea (Carnivora, Hyaenidae) from the Upper Pleistocene of Tip-Tugai cave, Southern Ural
Daniyar Khantemirov, Dmitriy O. Gimranov, Tatiana V. Strukova, Maria S. Tarasova, Maria P. Maslintsina, Victoria I. Pryakhina, Andrey N. Ivanchenko, Maria V. Pavlova, Dmitriy A. Zakharov, Arseniy V. Babaytsev, Mikhail P. Tiunov, Tariyel M. Eybatov, Anton V. Kisagulov, Lilia A. Sultangareeva, Valeria A. Makutina, Qigao Jiangzuo, Anton V. Kochnev, Pavel A. KosintsevAbstract
In this study we describe the dentition of cave hyena Crocuta spelaea (Goldfuss, 1823) from Tip-Tugai cave (Southern Urals, Late Pleistocene) using morphometric and morphological analysis and investigate its dietary preferences using analysis of dental microwear and taphonomy of the locality. Crocuta spelaea from Tip-Tugai cave are generally similar to other C. spelaea in tooth morphology and size, but one p4 specimen of the Tip-Tugai hyena is larger than any other cave hyena p4 specimen used for comparison. The combined sample of Ural C. spelaea differs from some of the European C. spelaea in having longer p2, p3, and P3, suggesting a higher degree of bone-cracking adaptation. Microwear analysis of C. spelaea carnassials from Tip-Tugai cave showed that both adult and juvenile individuals had a significant amount of bone in their diet. Most large herbivore bones from Tip-Tugai have hyena teeth marks, also from both adult and juvenile individuals. Microwear analysis additionally revealed a possible link between hierarchical position of C. spelaea and microwear parameters.