Unveiling the Shadows: Illuminating Late Pleistocene Human-Carnivore Interactions in Europe

Introduction

Caves played a vital role for Pleistocene human and carnivore populations, serving as shelters, scavenging sites, and feeding grounds. They remain the primary context preserving archaeological and faunal remains in Europe.

Competition for Resources

Carnivores competed with Pleistocene humans for resources and significantly contributed to cave bone accumulations and modification. Notably, evidence of carnivore behaviors largely derives from anthropogenic contexts, studied through an anthropo-centric lens.

Challenges in Research

However, carnivore remains are often invisible in the archaeological register, making it difficult to study them and draw precise conclusions about the level of interaction with humans and their extinction dates.

Hypothesis

Here, I hypothesize that many species of Pleistocene carnivores are present in Europe for much longer than what the fossil record indicates. I propose that their presence can be assessed by revising the sediments and bones of archaeological sites, and that the lasting populations show signs of genetic collapse linked to population contraction.

Research Focus

Therefore, I propose to study Pleistocene carnivores in Europe, focusing on Iberia, during and after the Late Glacial Maximum, a period marked by human population decline and climatic refugia. The rich and complex archaeological setting in the region will be used to identify, date, and delineate lasting carnivore populations. This information will improve the understanding of human-carnivore interactions.

Methodology

To do this, I have designed an innovative approach, uniting cutting-edge methods like high spatiotemporal precision sampling for sediment DNA and paleoproteomics, which, combined with traditional zooarchaeological techniques, overcomes the limitations of fossil availability.

Potential Impact

The research has the potential to:

1. Improve the understanding and nature of the co-occurrence between Pleistocene humans and carnivores.
2. Characterize the biological process of extinction, helping us improve the conservation of current critically endangered fauna.