Taphonomic comparison of bone modifications caused by wild and captive wolves (Canis lupus)

This work presents data obtained from experiments conducted on wild and captive wolves. Actualism is a very useful tool for taphonomic studies, as it allows us to understand the behavior of fauna in the past. However, not many past experimental studies have dealt with wolves as taphonomic agents. The results of the study show that wolves modify animal carcasses in advanced stages that include fracturing the bones in order to consume the marrow. By comparing captive and wild wolves, we observe that captive wolves often modify ungulate carcasses to a greater degree than do wild wolves. Moreover, factors such as the size of the ungulate and the period of availability of the carcass influence the type and degree of bone alteration. Tooth mark dimensions also allow us to compare wolves with other large carnivores and reveal that wolves differ significantly from large felids and ursids, and they have more in common with hyenids.