Porcupine gnaw marks on a Late Pliocene bone from the Upper Siwaliks exposed near Village Khetpurali (Haryana, India)

• Main Authors: JAGJEET KAUR, RAJEEV PATNAIK, BAHADUR SINGH, KEWAL KRISHAN
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Academia Brasileira de Ciências 2019-02-01
• Series: Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências
• Subjects: porcupine; gnaw marks; Upper Siwalik; taphonomy
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0001-37652019000100501&lng=en&tlng=en

Abstract Abstract:Bone accumulation by porcupines at archaeological sites is well known. However, in paleontological sites such a taphonomical occurrence is rather rare. We here report porcupine (Hystrix sp.) gnaw marks on an unidentified bone fragment, dated to ~2.6 Ma from the Upper Siwalik deposits exposed near Khetpurali (Haryana), India. The present gnaw marks are very distinct and are characterized by visible edges and grooves making clear broad and shallow furrows. The present find adds to our knowledge of Siwalik vertebrate taphonomy where most of the accumulations reported earlier were either fluvial or made by carnivores.