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Differentiating percussion pits and carnivore tooth pits using 3D reconstructions and geometric morphometrics
José Yravedra1,2, Julia Aramendi1,2, Miguel Ángel Maté-González3,4
1Department of Prehistory, Complutense University, Profesor Aranguren s/n, Madrid, Spain.
Plos One
|March 29, 2018
Summary
Distinguishing early human behaviors like hunting versus scavenging is crucial. New 3D analysis successfully differentiates percussion marks from unmodified hammerstones from carnivore tooth pits, resolving equifinality issues in bone modification studies.
Area of Science:
- Paleoanthropology
- Zooarchaeology
- Taphonomy
Background:
- The hunting versus scavenging debate in early human behavior relies on accurate identification of bone modifications.
- Distinguishing percussion marks from unmodified hammerstones and carnivore tooth pits presents an equifinality problem due to morphological overlap.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address the equifinality problem in identifying percussion marks and carnivore tooth pits.
- To introduce new methodologies for differentiating these bone modifications using 3D reconstruction and statistical analysis.
Main Methods:
- Virtual 3D modeling of 128 bone marks (39 percussion, 89 carnivore pits) using a DAVID structured-light scanner SLS-2.
- Statistical multivariate analysis, specifically geometric morphometrics, applied to the 3D models.
Main Results:
- Percussion marks made with unmodified hammerstones and carnivore-generated pits can be successfully distinguished.
- The new methodology effectively resolves the morphological overlap issue.
Conclusions:
- This study provides a reliable method for differentiating human percussion marks from carnivore tooth pits.
- The findings contribute to resolving debates on early hominin subsistence strategies and behaviors.
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