Neanderthals, ancient humans who lived in Europe 48,000 years ago, were known to hunt a now-extinct species of large cats called cave lions. This finding provides some of the earliest evidence of human beings hunting top predators instead of herbivores like mammoths. The evidence comes from the examination of a 48,000-year-old cave lion skeleton found in Germany. Cut marks on the bones indicate that the lion had been butchered after death. Additionally, a puncture mark on one of its ribs suggests that a wooden spear was thrust into the animal’s chest, ultimately leading to its death.
In another discovery, researchers found bones from the tips of the cave lion’s toes in a German cave dating back to approximately 190,000 years ago. These bones displayed cut marks that were consistent with the animal being skinned in a way that left the claws attached. It is believed that Neanderthals took the cave lion’s skin into the cave, possibly for ritual purposes or decoration.
While there is evidence of other ancient human species hunting animals, such as Homo erectus hunting wildebeest in Africa up to 2 million years ago, this finding specifically highlights Neanderthals hunting top predators like cave lions. However, it is suggested that Neanderthals did not frequently target cave lions due to their relative rarity and the dangerous nature of the hunt.
There is also a study from 2010 that describes the remains of a cave lion found in Spain dating back to around 350,000 years ago. Although this discovery predates the German findings, there is no evidence of hunting-related injuries, suggesting that the animal may have been scavenged rather than hunted.
Overall, these findings shed light on the hunting behaviors of ancient humans and their interactions with top predators in the prehistoric past.
Data Section:
– Cave lion (Panthera spelaea) specimen with hunting evidence
– Cave lion pelt with claws still attached
– Puncture mark on cave lion’s rib, possibly made by a wooden spear
– Discovery of cave lion bones with cut marks in a German cave
– Evidence of cave lion skin being brought into the cave by Neanderthals
– Previous evidence of cave lion remains found in Spain, potentially indicating even earlier instances of hominins interacting with cave lions.
