Ancient Humans Exploited Cave Lion Pelt 190,000 Years Ago; Hunted, Butchered Large Predator [Study]

Ancient humans knew how to live alongside big cats. A new study revealed that they hunted and butchered a cave lion thousands of years ago and exploited its pelt.

Neanderthal Hunting Big Cats

A new study shows what scholars believe to be the first concrete proof of cave lion hunting among Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis), one of our closest extinct cousins with whom we share a common ancestry. Additionally, the article offers the oldest proof of Neanderthals using a cave lion's pelt around 190,000 years ago.

The research offers new insight into the connections between these ancient hominins (the collective name for all living humans and extinct humans) and Eurasian cave lions (Panthera spelaea), a species of extinct big cats that resembled current lions. Around 780,000 to 126,000 years ago, during the Middle Pleistocene epoch, Neanderthals first appeared. About 430,000 years ago, the earliest remains that resemble Neanderthals were discovered. Before going extinct 40,000 years ago, these hominins thrived in Eurasia, briefly coexisting and occasionally interacting with Homo sapiens.

According to research author Gabriele Russo, a Ph.D. candidate in zooarchaeology at the University of Tübingen's Institute for Archaeological Sciences in Germany, the findings provide the "earliest direct evidence of a large predator being hunted and killed in human history."

Russo and colleagues examined the nearly 48,000-year-old remains of a cave lion, which is believed to have been a huge male African lion today in size and somewhat old at the time of its demise. This skeleton was first discovered in 1985 in the southeast German town of Siegsdorf.

The left femur, two ribs, and other bones in the cave lion specimen had cut marks across them in earlier investigations, indicating that prehistoric humans had killed the huge cat after it had died.

A partial puncture hole on the interior of the lion's third rib, which appears to have been caused by a wooden-tipped spear, is described in fresh information on the lion's demise. The spear probably entered the lion's body from the left side of its abdomen, punctured essential organs, and then made contact with the third rib on the right side, based on the angle of the puncture. The type of puncture hole resembles those discovered on the vertebrae of deer and is believed to have been created by Neanderthals.

Because of this, the study's authors concluded that Neanderthals killed the cave lion, which was probably in bad condition, with a wooden spear and processed the body at the scene of the killing to obtain its flesh before leaving it. According to the study, the specimen from Siegsdorf thus offers the oldest proof that Neanderthals deliberately hunted cave lions.

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Early Humans Are Scavengers Too

Although many studies supported the findings that ancient humans were into hunting, many experts also claimed that they were scavengers. Another study previously claimed that early hominins competed with huge scavengers like hyenas for carcasses.

Hunting involves killing animals for food. On the other hand, scavenging consists of locating an animal's decomposing carcass.

Early in the 20th century, archaeologists discovered animal bones that had been prepared with tools that were thought to have been used for hunting. Later, researchers observed that the devices were better suited for dissecting bone than killing animals.

Based on the models in the study, the ancient humans had the highest success in scavenging for carcasses when they were in a medium-sized group. These tribes might have been able to scrounge for food, even in direct competition with the enormous hyenas, if their size was big enough to drive the latter away. However, a large group would need more supplies because one cadaver would not be sufficient to satisfy their needs.