Age structure and sex ratio of cave bears in the Zoolithenhöhle, southern Germany

Abstract

[Abstract] This paper reports the results of the study of age and sexual composition of the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) ‘population’ of the Zoolithenhöhle, a classic cave site in Bavaria, southern Germany. Radiocarbon dating indicates that the assemblage dates to c. 29-24 kaB P. The osteometrical analysis shows that the great majority (ca. 90%) of the bears denning in the site were females. The tooth eruption and wear reveal the presence of a large proportion of young and some mature animals but a marked paucity of very old adults. The reason(s) for this very skewed sex ratio and the almost total absence of senile individuals is unclear.