Hunting behavior of Hualongdong Hominid based on the teeth of gaur

doi:10.16359/j.1000-3193/AAS.2025.0076

Abstract

Abstract:

The Hualongdong site in Dongzhi County, Anhui Province has yielded abundant hominin fossils along with numerous mammalian bones and teeth. Among the large mammal fossils unearthed at the site, cervid remains are the most common, followed by those of large bovids. To investigate the relationship between the Hualongdong hominins and these mammals, this study focuses on the gaur [Bos (Bibos) sp.] dental fossils excavated from the site between 2014 and 2024. The subgenus Bos (Bibos) represents an extinct group of the Bos (Bibos) sp., distinct from extant Bos frontalis. Fossils of these bovids are frequently found in Pleistocene cave sites in southern China, with a temporal range spanning from the Early to the Late Pleistocene. In this study, the dental sequence was first identified, and the tooth dimensions were measured and compared with those of bovids from other sites as well as extant gaur. Based on this analysis, the minimum number of individuals (MNI) was calculated. The age-at-death was estimated using crown height measurements, and age groups were classified to construct the mortality profile. The mortality pattern of the Hualongdong bovids was identified using a ternary diagram and its possible causes inferred through comparative analysis.

The results indicate that: 1) A total of 1,205 bovid teeth were unearthed, including 139 incisors (Including incisiform canines), 202 fragmented cheek teeth, and 864 complete and measurable cheek teeth (69 deciduous teeth and 795 permanent teeth); 2) The MNI was estimated at 53, based on the combination of 39 left M3s and 14 right DP3s; 3) The tooth dimensions of the Hualongdong bovids most closely resemble those of Bos (Bibos) gaurus from the Bailong Cave site; 4) Using a quadratic crown height equation for permanent teeth and a linear equation for deciduous teeth, the age distribution of the Hualongdong bovids was determined to be 38% juveniles, 44% prime adults, and 18% old adults; 5) The age profile plotted on a ternary diagram closely aligns with that of extant wild gaur and European bison, indicating a catastrophic mortality pattern; 6) The relatively high proportion of juveniles suggests that the Hualongdong hominins may have employed multiple hunting strategies, such as a combination of non-selective ambush and endurance hunting, or that they may have targeted more juvenile bovids during the breeding season.

Teeth are among the most well-preserved animal remains at archaeological sites and contain rich information about the animals themselves. By analyzing the dental fossils of large bovids from Hualongdong, this study reconstructs their mortality profile and provides new evidence for interpreting the hunting behavior of the Hualongdong hominins.

Key words: Hualongdong, Bos (Bibos) sp., MNI, mortality profile, Middle Pleistocene

CLC Number:

Q915.87/K871.11

LIU Boxuan, LIU Sitong, JIN Zetian, DENG Guodong, WU Xiujie. Hunting behavior of Hualongdong Hominid based on the teeth of gaur[J]. Acta Anthropologica Sinica, 2025, 44(05): 862-873.

Figures/Tables 8

References 48

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		华龙洞Hualongdong	白龙洞^[14]Bailong Cave	三合大洞^[40]Sanhe Cave	柳城巨猿洞^[41]Gigantopithecus Cave	龙骨坡^[42]Longgupo Cave	盐源盆地^[43] Yanyuan	盐井沟^[44]Yanjinggou	现生^[44]Current
P2	L	14.5~23.2	17.52~25.52	21.1				20~21	18~23
P2	W	12.8~17.7	11.58~20.65	17				17	15~17
P3	L	13.6~23.6	17.64~24.98	23.9				22	18~21
P3	W	14.7~24.1	13.31~25.27	17.3				18~21	18~23
P4	L	15.8~23.1	14.82~23.43	18.7			17	22	17~20
P4	W	17.1~24.8	13.43~28.52	22.6			19.5	22	21~24
M1	L	28.1	25.61	29.2	26.9	27-28	23	29	24~28
M1	W	23.1	24.58	28.7	25.5	20.5	20	28~30	26~28
M2	L	29.3	29.72	33.2	22-25.5	24-25.5	26	27~32	27~30
M2	W	25.5	26.15	27.6	15.5-19	19.2-21.5	22	28~31	25~29
M3	L	28.2~38.4	28.48~36.79				26.7	33~34	30~34
M3	W	18.1~30.5	13.92~29.38				21	27~30	24~29
p2	L	11.1~17.7	7.96~15.56		13			15~16	13
p2	W	8.1~13.7	4.49~12.53		9			11~12	10
p3	L	18.5~27.2	17.02~26.63	23.2	17			22~25	19
p3	W	9.8~16.8	8.44~15.55	13.7	12.2			14~15	13
p4	L	20.7-28	19.56~26.92	23.2~26.2	22	22		24	21
p4	W	11.5-19.3	11.36~18.29	13.7~13.9	14.5	15.2		16	15
m1	L	25.7	25.01	25.6~27.3	22	23.8		25~29	24~25
m1	W	19.4	18.25	17.5~19.2	17	19		20~21	18
m2	L	30.1	26.31	29.8~30.2	24	25	26	29~31	27~28
m2	W	21.5	17.64	19.1~19.7	20.3	20	16	21~23	19~20
m3	L	35.3~47.1	36.22~47.71	40.1~42.8	40	41	36	45	38~40
m3	W	12.5~26.6	11.04~22.43	20~24.6	19.5	19	15.5	20~22	19

		华龙洞Hualongdong	白龙洞^[14]Bailong Cave	三合大洞^[40]Sanhe Cave	柳城巨猿洞^[41]Gigantopithecus Cave	龙骨坡^[42]Longgupo Cave	盐源盆地^[43] Yanyuan	盐井沟^[44]Yanjinggou	现生^[44]Current
P2	L	14.5~23.2	17.52~25.52	21.1				20~21	18~23
P2	W	12.8~17.7	11.58~20.65	17				17	15~17
P3	L	13.6~23.6	17.64~24.98	23.9				22	18~21
P3	W	14.7~24.1	13.31~25.27	17.3				18~21	18~23
P4	L	15.8~23.1	14.82~23.43	18.7			17	22	17~20
P4	W	17.1~24.8	13.43~28.52	22.6			19.5	22	21~24
M1	L	28.1	25.61	29.2	26.9	27-28	23	29	24~28
M1	W	23.1	24.58	28.7	25.5	20.5	20	28~30	26~28
M2	L	29.3	29.72	33.2	22-25.5	24-25.5	26	27~32	27~30
M2	W	25.5	26.15	27.6	15.5-19	19.2-21.5	22	28~31	25~29
M3	L	28.2~38.4	28.48~36.79				26.7	33~34	30~34
M3	W	18.1~30.5	13.92~29.38				21	27~30	24~29
p2	L	11.1~17.7	7.96~15.56		13			15~16	13
p2	W	8.1~13.7	4.49~12.53		9			11~12	10
p3	L	18.5~27.2	17.02~26.63	23.2	17			22~25	19
p3	W	9.8~16.8	8.44~15.55	13.7	12.2			14~15	13
p4	L	20.7-28	19.56~26.92	23.2~26.2	22	22		24	21
p4	W	11.5-19.3	11.36~18.29	13.7~13.9	14.5	15.2		16	15
m1	L	25.7	25.01	25.6~27.3	22	23.8		25~29	24~25
m1	W	19.4	18.25	17.5~19.2	17	19		20~21	18
m2	L	30.1	26.31	29.8~30.2	24	25	26	29~31	27~28
m2	W	21.5	17.64	19.1~19.7	20.3	20	16	21~23	19~20
m3	L	35.3~47.1	36.22~47.71	40.1~42.8	40	41	36	45	38~40
m3	W	12.5~26.6	11.04~22.43	20~24.6	19.5	19	15.5	20~22	19

来源Source		DP2	DP3	DP4	dp2	dp3	dp4
华龙洞Hualongdong	L	15.9~21.1	20.9~28.3	25.3~28.8	12.4	16.2~24.2	31.7~39.1
华龙洞Hualongdong	W	11.2~13.3	12.7~20.5	14.8~20	8	9~12	12.4~17.7
白龙洞 Bailong Cave	L		22.42~29.64	20.36~29.52	11.14~14.01	14.97~22.84	29.01~34.56
白龙洞 Bailong Cave	W		12.53~22.42	13.46~25.8	9.02~10.28	7.69	11.75~16.99

来源Source		DP2	DP3	DP4	dp2	dp3	dp4
华龙洞Hualongdong	L	15.9~21.1	20.9~28.3	25.3~28.8	12.4	16.2~24.2	31.7~39.1
华龙洞Hualongdong	W	11.2~13.3	12.7~20.5	14.8~20	8	9~12	12.4~17.7
白龙洞 Bailong Cave	L		22.42~29.64	20.36~29.52	11.14~14.01	14.97~22.84	29.01~34.56
白龙洞 Bailong Cave	W		12.53~22.42	13.46~25.8	9.02~10.28	7.69	11.75~16.99

来源Source	物种Species	采样性质Sampling nature	幼年Juvenile	壮年Prime	老年 Old	最小个体数MNI
华龙洞遗址Hualongdong site, Dongzhi, Anhui	Bos (Bibos) sp.	古人类遗址Archaeological site	38%	44%	18%	39
Mudumalai and Bandipur National Parks, India^[25]	Bos (Bibos) gaurus	野生Wild	33%	48%	19%	1620
Omaha Zoo, India^[25]	Bos (Bibos) gaurus	圈养Captive	44%	46%	10%	130
Akagera, Rwanda^[45]	Syncerus caffer	野外采集Collection	15%	61%	24%	130
Bialowieza, Poland^[46]	Bison bonasus	野生Wild	37%	52%	11%	253
Serengeti, Tanzania^[47]	Buffalo	狮子猎杀Lion predation	12%	48%	40%	50
白龙洞遗址Bailong Cave site, Yunxi, Hubei^[14]	Bos (Bibos) gaurus	古人类遗址Archaeological site	39%	51%	10%	71