Non-Ingested Scapulae and Mandibles Accumulated in Nests by Bearded Vultures (Gypaetus barbatus) in Corsica: A Neo-Taphonomic Analysis

Abstract

The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is a scavenger and bone-eating vulture that also transports bones to the nest to feed the nestlings. Bones found at nests are characterized by the accumulation of small- to medium-sized ungulates, a high number of third and second phalanges and digestive corrosion marks on regurgitated bones. This actualistic study explores the taphonomic signatures of modern free-ranging bearded vultures left on mandibles and scapulae bones transported and abandoned at nests. The assemblage was recovered on the island of Corsica (France), and its findings are crucial for identifying bearded vulture signatures on bones found in eyries. While mandibles and scapulae are less nutritious as food and exhibit lower handling efficiency, they can be transported to the nests. Nevertheless, a distinct diagnostic pattern of consumption is observed on both skeletal elements, as described in this study. This pattern is essential for discerning the activities of other biological agents, such as hyenas and humans in Pleistocene sites.