Life histories of straight-tusked elephants from the Last Interglacial Neanderthal site of Neumark-Nord (~125 ka).

Abstract

Straight-tusked elephants (<i>Palaeoloxodon antiquus</i>) were the largest land mammals of the European Pleistocene. Abundant fossil remains have been recovered from Neumark-Nord [~125 thousand years ago (ka); Saxony-Anhalt, NE Germany], where over 70 individuals were accumulated by Neanderthal hunting and butchering activity. This study reconstructs the species' paleoecology using a multiproxy approach that combines isotopic and paleoproteomic analyses of tooth enamel. LA-MC-ICPMS ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr analyses on molar cross sections from four adults reveal subseasonal mobility over periods up to eight years. A specifically developed Sr isoscape facilitates tracking of elephant movements, using Bayesian analysis to map their Last Interglacial homerange. Amelogenin proteomic analysis identified three males and one likely female. Two male elephants exhibit elevated ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr profiles, distinct from the local bioavailable ratios. Intra-tooth δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O analyses provide insights into paleodiet and drinking water sources, differing between individuals with low and elevated ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr. The latter likely foraged up to 300 km away before arriving at Neumark-Nord, where they were ultimately killed and processed by Neanderthals.