Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 45(special issue) 2002
Issue:
VOL 45(special issue) 2002
Keywords:
Taphonomy, Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus, digestion marks, Late Glacial, Corsica, Megaloceros cazioti
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Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus contributions to the constitution of two different bone assemblages: Modern reference data and an archaeological example in Corsica
Abstract:
The Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus is a large raptor that accumulates bones at its nest. The latter is often in a cave large enough to accommodate humans. With the aim of creating a modern reference, the bone contents from 11 nests of modern Corsican Bearded Vulture are analysed from a taphonomic point of view. They are mainly characterised by overwhelming quantities of third phalanges from middle-size ruminants, abundance signs of digestion around the proximal articulations, and a few bone flakes. Bone flakes on the other hand, are very abundant at bone breaking areas or ossuaries (rocky slopes) used by the Bearded Vulture. Both types of accumulation are compared in this paper in order to understand the feeding behaviour of this raptor and its consequences to the formation of archaeological assemblages. The authors then compared these new, present-day reference data with the Late glacial faunal assemblages of Luri-Grìtulu cave (Northern Corsica). This accumulation is mainly composed of third phalanges of Megaloceros cazioti (the endemic Corsican deer) with digestion marks and we can conclude that they have been accumulated by Late glacial Bearded Vultures and not by human beings or mammalian carnivores. Key words:
