The Spatial Distribution of Dens of Spotted Hyaena (Crocuta crocuta) in the Middle and Upper Pleistocene of Britain

Abstract

Remains of Spotted Hyaenas have been found in numerous Pleistocene deposits throughout Britain and Europe. Pleistocene Spotted Hyaenas are one of the most important taphonomic agents in the fossil record due to their bone accumulating behaviours, especially within cave localities. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the spatial distribution of Spotted Hyaena dens in Britain during the Middle and Upper Pleistocene. Utilising museum catalogues and literature reports, caves possessing Pleistocene remains were identified and then divided into those containing Spotted Hyaena remains and those where they were absent. Those localities that yielded Spotted Hyaena remains were then collated and studied in more detail to identify whether the localities were in fact Spotted Hyaena dens or not. This was completed by using a compilation of criteria posed by researchers such as: gnaw marks on bones that are characteristically Hyaenid, remains of Spotted Hyaenas being common in the assemblage, and the presence of coprolites. There were three Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) where Spotted Hyaenas were most prevalent - MIS 5e, 5c and 3. In these time periods, Spotted Hyaenas were one of the dominant carnivores. During MIS 5e and 5c humans (both Neanderthal and Anatomically Modern Humans) were absent in the British Isles, meaning that there was less competition with the Hyaenas, in comparison with MIS 3 where humans were present in the British Isles. Sixty five out of the eighty five studied localities contained remains dated to MIS 3, which was much more than the other two Marine Isotope Stages. Researchers have identified three den types that Pleistocene Spotted Hyaenas used: two extant den types, communal dens and natal dens; and one extinct, prey depots. This study attempted to identify and categorise these localities to a specific den type using a list of criteria that was compiled from existing literature. The study found that 85 localities were Spotted Hyaena dens, 37 of which could be inferred to be a specific den type or a mixture of two or more. A specific case study on Pin Hole (Creswell Crags, Derbyshire / Nottinghamshire border) was conducted using the data that was collected prior to the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. This was done because there was enough data already available to allow for this. The results from this study showed that there was a lack of pattern in distribution of the 85 denning localities throughout Britain, except in terms of bedrock geology. Within specific areas, a high proportion of the available caves were used, for example at Creswell Crags (Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire), Torbryan Valley (Devon) and the Gower Peninsula (South Wales). Surprisingly there was only one Spotted Hyaena den site in Ireland and none in Scotland. The main limitations of this study were the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, meaning that the planned valuable data collection could not be completed; and the reliance on museum catalogues which made it difficult to attribute a den type to a locality. Overall, this study showed that during the Middle and Upper Pleistocene of England and Wales, Spotted Hyaenas utilised caves at random. The overall dates of occupation at these localities spanned long time periods, yet the accumulations often created a palimpsest within the caves and are frequently aggregated together within museum collections, meaning any information such as seasonal / year round occupation of the caves, or whether there was multiple occupation events, was lost. To conclude, this study is the first to identify the spatial distribution of Middle and Upper Pleistocene Spotted Hyaena dens in Britain, as well as the first to have identified ‘Nibbling Sticks’ (a natal den indicator) in a British Museum collection.

Date of Award	21 Aug 2021
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Michael Buckley (Co Supervisor) & Andrew Chamberlain (Main Supervisor)