New research at the paleolithic Předmostí I archaeological site near Brno in the Czech Republic provides a fascinating picture of the prey-predator relationships of that time.
Thirty thousand years ago, humans had domesticated dogs, they hunted mammoths, bison, musk ox and reindeer. They probably did not herd reindeer extensively in central Europe (but they did in the far north as the ice sheets retreated), but they may have occasionally followed reindeer herds. Mammoth meat clearly had a high value and was not fed to their dogs who – instead – had to make do with reindeer or musk ox meat – presumably controlled and provided by their human owners. But the dogs were probably an important participant in human hunts. Lions preyed primarily on musk oxen and reindeer but not on mammoth or much else. Other predators such as wolves, wolverines and bears ate mammoth (human leavings perhaps), rhinos, horse and bison. That lions and humans hunted musk oxen but not so much bison suggests that the musk ox was a little less aggressive (more stupid?) and easier to hunt than bison.
Simplified prey-predator relationships for prehistoric humans and large mammals in Předmostí I 30,000 years ago, deduced from stable isotopic data. Illustration: Hervé Bocherens with credits to: Wooly mammoth, wooly rhino, horse & cave lion: Mauricio Antón/DOI:10.1371/journal.pbio.0060099, Muskox: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Reindeer: Alexandre Buisse; Wolf: Santiago Atienza; Wolverine: Matthias Kabel; Brown bear: Jean-Noël Lafargue; Dogs: Margo Peron; Bison: Michael Gäbler; Prehistoric man: Hervé Bocherens.
Tags: dog domestication, Paleolithic, Předmostí I
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