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Sex-ratio et stratégies de chasse au Paléolithique : l'apport de l'analyse des mélanges

Hervé MONCHOT

fr Anthropozoologica 31 - Pages 49-56

Published on 01 December 2000

This article is a part of the thematic issue Animal management and demography through the ages

Sex-Ratio and hunting strategy in the Palaeolithic: contribution of the mixture analysis

In zooarchaeological studies, it is often important to be able to assess sexual dimorphism and sex ratios in populations. A modern statistical approach to handle this problem is Mixture Analysis. It consists of determining how many groups are present in the sample, two in this case, in which proportions they occur, and estimating the parameters accordingly. The analysis of mouflon bones from Arago cave (Tautavel, France) indicates that there are more females than males in the F-layer. According to the ethology of this animal, this suggests a selective hunting strategy. Thereby, we conclude that Homo erectus was present on the site during spring and summer periods.


Keywords:

Sex-ratio, mixture analysis, mouflon, hunting strategy, Arago cave.

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