Herbivores dental wear analysis since the end of the Middle Pleistocene in different archaeological contexts of Morocco (Bizmoune, El Khenzira and Taforalt)
Résumé
Currently, environments in Morocco can be divided into three broad zones. The North is characterized by a Mediterranean biome and the very strong influence of the Mediterranean Sea. The West coast is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and the Sahara Desert has profound effects on the Southwest. To better document herbivore food habits and the plant cover in these biogeographical areas since the end of the Middle Pleistocene, we undertook dental wear analysis of herbivore teeth from recent excavations at Taforalt (Oujda region) and Bizmoune Cave (Essaouira), and from the mixed sample from El Khenzira (El Jadida) (Arambourg Collection / Bouzouggar Excavation). In this study we conducted the first mesowear and microwear analyses of archaeological ungulate teeth of North African herbivore teeth starting with a total sample of 129 teeth from 19 taxa. Our results highlighted dietary habits and ecological flexibility and revealed interspecific competitive relationships between some of the taxa as well as the paleoenvironmental contexts in which they evolved.
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Uzunidis et al, 2022 marocco dental wear ungulates.pdf (1.55 Mo)
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