Fig 1.
Location of the den and excavation work in the site.
a) b) Location of the den (star) in Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania) c) Excavation work in the slope where the wildebeest bones were concentrated in 2012 d) One of the wildebeest carcasses recovered in 2012 e) One of the wildebeest carcasses recovered in 2013.
Table 1.
Description of metapodials measurements for PCA analysis.
Fig 2.
First molars used in histological analyses.
First specimen is a juvenile. Adults are numbered from 506 to 510.
Fig 3.
Biplot showing the distribution of the three comparative samples (lion kills, spotted hyena kills and Olduvai den) according to PCA (left) and CVA (right).
Each sample also displays a 95% c.i. ellipse. Key: squares (hyenas), big diamonds (lions), small diamonds (den); Y, Yearlings; YA, Young Adults; M, Mature adults; OA, Old Adults, VO, Very Old. Data from spotted hyenas and lion kills (Mduma 1996; Sinclair & Arcese 1995).
Fig 4.
Biplot showing the distribution of the three comparative samples (total predation in the increasing-stationary phase (data from Sinclair & Arcese 1995), total predation in the decreasing phase (data from Mduma 1996) and Olduvai den) according to PCA (left) and CVA (right).
Each sample also displays a 95% c.i. ellipse. Key: squares (total predation in the increasing-stationary phase), big diamonds (total predation in the decreasing phase), small diamonds (den); Y, Yearlings; YA, Young Adults; M, Mature adults; OA, Old Adults, VO, Very Old.
Fig 5.
Biplot showing the distribution of the three comparative samples (lion kills in the increasing-stationary phase (data from Sinclair & Arcese 1995), lion kills in the decreasing phase (data from Mduma 1996) and Olduvai den) according to PCA (left) and CVA (right).
Each sample also displays a 95% c.i. ellipse. Key: squares (lion kills in the decreasing phase), big diamonds (lion kills in the increasing-stationary phase), small diamonds (den); Y, Yearlings; YA, Young Adults; M, Mature adults; OA, Old Adults, VO, Very Old.
Fig 6.
Biplot showing the distribution of the three comparative samples (spotted hyaena kills in the increasing-stationary phase (data from Sinclair & Arcese 1995), spotted hyaena kills in the decreasing phase (data from Mduma 1996) and Olduvai den) according to PCA (left) and CVA (right).
Each sample also displays a 95% c.i. ellipse. Key: squares (spotted hyaena kills in the decreasing phase), big diamonds (spotted hyaena kills in the increasing-stationary phase), small diamonds (den); Y, Yearlings; YA, Young Adults; M, Mature adults; OA, Old Adults, VO, Very Old.
Fig 7.
Spatial distribution of the Olduvai den specimens and biplot of the metric variables for metacarpals (A,C) and metatarsals (B,D) according to the PCA.
Ellipses show groups of specimens identifying sexual dimorphism in the sample. Specimens outside ellipses remain ambiguous regarding sex identification.
Table 2.
Number of males and females according to the element used.
Fig 8.
Detail of the dentine structure of the six first molars.
This figure shows a close up of the enamel (E) and the dentin (D) regions. White arrows indicates the dark layers within the dentin which have been used to infer the age-at-death (between parentheses) and the season-of-death (dark layer is related to unfavourable season). Scalebar: μm.
Table 3.
Age classes selected by the lion and spotted hyaena depending on the wildebeest population phase.