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A recent study from Central Europe has changed our perception of the cat's domestication history. The authors discuss how this has led to the development of an interdisciplinary project combining palaeogenetics, zooarchaeology and radiocarbon dating, with the aim of providing insight into the domestic cat's expansion beyond the Mediterranean. Keywords: Felis, cat, domestication, zooarchaeology, palaeogenomics, radiocarbon dating, Introduction The last two decades have fundamentally changed our understanding of cat domestication, primarily due to advances in palaeogenetic methods. Analyses of archaeological and modern felids have revealed the Near [...]

Rationale: The trophic enrichment factor (TEF) is a parameter reflecting the difference in isotopic ratio between a consumer's tissues and diet, used in isotopic ecology and paleoecology to track dietary habits. The TEF of sulfur is believed to be low, but was, until now, only documented in a limited number of taxa. In this study we use a subfossil accumulation of bones from a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) den to verify the TEF for sulfur in fox bone collagen. Methods: Collagen was extracted from 30 samples of subfossil bones, including foxes and their prey. The δ34S values of the bone collagen samples were measured with an elemental analyzer connected to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer. The TEF was calculated as [Δ34S = (mean δ34S in predator) – (mean δ34S in prey)], using taphonomic indices to estimate the mean diet, and calculated separately for different age classes of the predator. Results: We modeled 12 variants of TEF for different estimations of the diet composition and for three fox age classes (adult, subadult, and juvenile). The estimated TEF values range from −0.54 to +0.03‰ and are similar to TEFs known for other mammals. Absolute TEF values are nearly equal to or lower than the analytical error, which is ±0.4‰. Conclusions: For the first time, we present direct δ34S data for the bone collagen of a free‐living predator and its naturally selected prey. Our results indicate very low or even slightly negative TEF values for sulfur. Furthermore, according to our results, the δ34S value should not be considered a reliable indicator of trophic position in terrestrial food webs but rather, it should be used to disentangle different food webs based on different primary producers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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ABSTRACT Identifying the behavioural patterns of bone collecting animals is a crucial aspect of taphonomic studies. Although many studies have established criteria for identifying animal-collected or animal-modified bones, very few papers describe the distinguishing features of fox-made bone assemblages. The bone assemblage collected in an inactive underground stone mine in Potok-Senderki (Poland) is diagnostic of a red fox ( Vulpes vulpes) den. This site provides an ideal opportunity to develop an understanding of the bone collecting behaviour of red foxes in cave-like environments. This study showed that bones collected by red foxes are concentrated in clusters. The bones represent a broad spectrum of local fox prey species, with most bones showing the marks of gnawing. Each cluster may contain from <10 to >100 bones. Furthermore, the long axes of the bones in clusters frequently show specific orientation. The analysis of bones at this site might make an important contribution towards the establishment of baseline criteria for the identification and evaluation of fox-accumulated bone assemblages. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The deposits of Biśnik Cave yielded numerous bear remains from sediments dated to the MIS 8–MIS 3 interval. This situation allowed examination of the paleoecology of Ursus spelaeus over time, compared with two other species of bears: Ursus deningeri and Ursus arctos, also present in fossil material from Biśnik Cave. The stable isotope ratios (δ13C, δ18O) in tooth enamel were applied in combination with examination of seasonal deposition of dental cementum. The δ13C values showed the diet of each bear species stayed in the range of C3 plants. Results for U. spelaeus showed a wider range of δ13C values than for U. deningeri or U. arctos. The values are relatively negative in comparison to fossil bears from other European sites. Low δ13C values observed in bears from Biśnik Cave could be linked to a canopy effect and document a forested environment for these bears. No correlation between δ18O and δ13C values was noted. The cementum analysis revealed that season of death of all species was winter and all studied specimens died during hibernation. The highest mortality concerned mostly individuals below 4 years old and the highest individual aged was U. deningeri. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The narrow-headed vole, collared lemming and common vole were the most abundant small mammal species across the Eurasian Late Pleistocene steppe-tundra environment. Previous ancient DNA studies of the collared lemming and common vole have revealed dynamic population histories shaped by climatic fluctuations. To investigate the extent to which species with similar adaptations share common evolutionary histories, we generated a dataset comprised the mitochondrial genomes of 139 ancient and 6 modern narrow-headed voles from several sites across Europe and northwestern Asia covering approximately the last 100 thousand years (kyr). We inferred Bayesian time-aware phylogenies using 11 radiocarbon-dated samples to calibrate the molecular clock. Divergence of the main mtDNA lineages across the three species occurred during marine isotope stages (MIS) 7 and MIS 5, suggesting a common response of species adapted to open habitat during interglacials. We identified several time-structured mtDNA lineages in European narrow-headed vole, suggesting lineage turnover. The timing of some of these turnovers was synchronous across the three species, allowing us to identify the main drivers of the Late Pleistocene dynamics of steppe- and cold-adapted species.

Rationale: The trophic enrichment factor (TEF) is a parameter reflecting the difference in isotopic ratio between a consumer's tissues and diet, used in isotopic ecology and paleoecology to track dietary habits. The TEF of sulfur is believed to be low, but was, until now, only documented in a limited number of taxa. In this study we use a subfossil accumulation of bones from a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) den to verify the TEF for sulfur in fox bone collagen., Methods: Collagen was extracted from 30 samples of subfossil bones, including foxes and their prey. The δ 34 S values of the bone collagen samples were measured with an elemental analyzer connected to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer. The TEF was calculated as [Δ 34 S = (mean δ 34 S in predator) - (mean δ 34 S in prey)], using taphonomic indices to estimate the mean diet, and calculated separately for different age classes of the predator., Results: We modeled 12 variants of TEF for different estimations of the diet composition and for three fox age classes (adult, subadult, and juvenile). The estimated TEF values range from -0.54 to +0.03‰ and are similar to TEFs known for other mammals. Absolute TEF values are nearly equal to or lower than the analytical error, which is ±0.4‰., Conclusions: For the first time, we present direct δ 34 S data for the bone collagen of a free-living predator and its naturally selected prey. Our results indicate very low or even slightly negative TEF values for sulfur. Furthermore, according to our results, the δ 34 S value should not be considered a reliable indicator of trophic position in terrestrial food webs but rather, it should be used to disentangle different food webs based on different primary producers., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)