Reconstructing the spatial ecology of cave bears: integrating geochemical, biomolecular and microwear analysis to explore the relationship between ran

Title: Reconstructing the spatial ecology of cave bears: integrating geochemical, biomolecular and microwear analysis to explore the relationship between range size, sex and dietary ecology in extinct and ancestral European Late Pleistocene Ursidae.

This project concerns itself with the ecology of Late Pleistocene bears in Europe. Techniques such as: stable isotope analysis, microwear imaging and biomolecular extraction will be implemented to shed light on the relationship between their diet, range size, sex, competition and in the case of Cave Bears the reason behind their extinction Pre LGM. The stable isotope systems at out disposal are d13C for diet, d15N for trophic level, d18O for climate, d34S for proximity/use of marine material and Strontium for range size.

Differences between individuals, geographical populations and temporal populations in these metrics will be investigated for with relevant statistical techniques. Mapping of these results over Europe will illustrate these results. Additionally, Cave Bear material will be compared to other contemporaneous Ursidae species in the region.