Taphonomic and demographic observations on the middle Villafranchian Dafnero horse, Greece

In this thesis, a comprehensive taphonomic analysis of the horse (Equus stenonis) assemblage from the Lower Pleistocene locality Dafnero (Western Macedonia, Greece) is conducted, aiming to identify the agents responsible for the accumulation and modification of the bones as well as to reveal the demographic composition of the population. For this purpose, skeletal part representation, bone damage patterns, and bone surface modifications attributed to abiotic and biotic factors were recorded. Furthermore, individuals were classified into age groups (juvenile, adult, old) based on dental wear and tooth eruption sequence, and ternary diagrams were created to illustrate mortality patterns. In addition to abiotic factors (e.g., weathering, water transport) the analysis revealed that the deletion of long bone portions is related to their nutritive content and density, indicating that a large carnivoran had selectively modified the horse bones, which is in line with the presence of large-sized tooth marks. Several large predators have been documented at the locality, including the bear Ursus etruscus, the felids Homotherium latidens, Lynx issiodorensis and Puma pardoides, and the hyaenid Chasmaporthetes lunensis. The relatively advanced stage of deletion in meat-bearing bones (e.g., humerus, tibia) most likely excludes the action of the felids and possibly indicates the activity of a hyaenid but not producing the extensive damage such as those of specialized bone crackers. Combined with the results from the mortality profile, the cursorial predator and bone/meat eater Chasmaporthetes is possibly the best candidate as the main biotic agent for the bone modifications. This study contributes to a better understanding of the taphonomic and demographic structure of the Equus stenonis population at Dafnero, and more broadly, to the reconstruction of the region’s paleoecological conditions.