1. Lluís Lloveras, Marta Moreno-García & Jordi Nadal 11th ICAZ Conference, Paris, 23-28 August 2010 FEEDING THE FOXES: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY TO ASSESS THEIR TAPHONOMIC SIGNATURE ON LEPORID REMAINS

2. THE RED FOX (Vulpes vulpes) The red fox is a generalist predator but in areas where abundances of rabbits are high they constitute one of the most common prey species One of the most important leporid remains accumulators among terrestrial carnivores

3. THE RED FOX (Vulpes vulpes) AIMS  To analyse taphonomic patterns on rabbit bones derived from red fox activities  To advance a series of criteria that can be used to recognize red foxes as accumulators of rabbit remains on archaeological assemblages

4. MATERIAL Experimental study with four red foxes kept in captivity. Fed with complete rabbit carcasses. 1 1 A. Non ingested remains 1A 1B 1 B. Scats

5. MATERIAL 2 A sample of 60 wild red foxes scats from Parc del Garraf (Barcelona, Spain). 2 2 2. Scats

6. METHODS Material was rehydrated and cleaned under water Leporid remains were anatomically determined and numbers of skeletal elements (N) and its percentage were calculated Several indices were applied to evaluate proportions of skeletal elements The taphonomical analysis included the study of: breakage pattern digestion damage presence of tooth marks Damage to bone surface was observed under a light microscope (X10 - X40)

7. RESULTS ANATOMICAL REPRESENTATION RA% average= 25.5 Sample 1 A Non ingested remains A total of 639 bones and teeth were recovered. MNI = 11 Only lower limb bones, caudal vertebrae and a few mandibles were present

8. RA% average= 26.6 Sample 1 B Scats RESULTS ANATOMICAL REPRESENTATION A total of 113 bones and teeth were recovered. MNI = 2 Scapula, upper limb bones, cranial remains and vertebrae were the best represented

9. Age of prey: 87% of adults A total of 152 bones and teeth were recovered. MNI = 3 Tibia, femur, humerus, scapula, cranial remains and vertebrae were the best represented RA% average= 24.7 Sample 2 Scats RESULTS ANATOMICAL REPRESENTATION

10. Sample 1 A + 1B Non ingested remains (red) and scats (blue) Sample 2 Scats RESULTS ANATOMICAL REPRESENTATION

11. Proportion Indices 1A - Non ingested 1B - Scats 2 - Scats PCRT / CR1138.493.9140.6 PCRLB / CR960270.7440 AUT/ZE224.531.226.7 Z / E1933.38055.6 AN/PO30122.240.4 X X X RESULTS ANATOMICAL REPRESENTATION

12. RESULTS BREAKAGE Bones from scats samples were highly fragmented. Approximately 60% of remains were under 10mm. LENGTHxMINORMAJOR% < 10 1A - Non ing. 19.34486.228 1B - Scats 9.12.622.662.5 2 - Scats 9.52.530.960 1B 1A

13. TOTALLONG BONES 1A92.35.9 1B7.90 215.90 1 A Non ingested 1 B Scats BREAKAGE % COMPLETE ELEMENTS 2 Scats 1A + 1B: 79% of complete elements

14. RESULTS BREAKAGE In non ingested remains most fractures are mechanical and often associated with tooth marks 1 A Non ingested

15. RESULTS DIGESTION 1B 2 %DIGESTED REMAINS 1A - non ingested 0 1A + 1B 15% 1B - scats 100 2 - scats 99.3

16. RESULTS DIGESTION Most remains show a heavy degree of digestion corrosion. Extreme digestion is quite significant too NULL LIGHT MODERATE HEAVY EXTREME 2 Scats 1B Scats

17. RESULTS TOOTH MARKS % OF REMAINS WITH TOOTH MARKS 1A - non ingested 9.5 1A + 1B 8.3% 1B - scats 1.7 2 - scats 5.3

18. SUMMARY Rabbit remain are scarcer in scats than in non-ingested leftovers Distal limb bones dominate non- ingested material while proximal limb bones, crania and vertebrae are abundant in scats Non-ingested remains prove to be less fragmented and show more complete bones Tooth marks are more evident on non-ingested remains Rabbit remains in scats are affected by heavy and extreme digestion corrosion

19. CONCLUSIONS An archaeological rabbit assemblage created by foxes will probably be a mixture of ingested and not ingested remains Taphonomical criteria described for non-ingested remains prevail over those in scats, except for digested elements

20. CONCLUSIONS

21. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: we are very grateful to people from Torreferusa Wildlife Recovery Center who help us with this experimental study THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATENTION