These analyses enable us to: 1) describe and characterize consistent patterns of bone damage inflicted by chimpanzees across a much larger prey sample than has been previously studied 2) make a preliminary comparison of the generalized chimpanzee taphonomic signature to that of leopard and eagle consumption of primates, as well as modern human consumption of small mammals and 3) assess the utility of such samples for recognition of early hominin small mammal carnivory. Tooth marks are present but uncommon (4.4% of total NISP). Bone is damaged in distinct ways, such as: destruction of long bone ends, typically with intact but chewed shafts fragmentation and compression cracking of crania and preservation of only the iliac blades of the innominates. Axial postcranial elements have low survivorship, with a complete absence of pre-caudal vertebrae.

Cranial bones are the dominant element, followed by long bones. The age distribution of the prey remains is skewed towards pre-adults. It has low taxonomic diversity, consisting overwhelmingly of primates, especially red colobus monkeys. The entire sample consists of 455 bone fragments from 57 chimpanzee hunting episodes of 65 prey individuals at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda.

This study provides a taphonomic analysis of the largest known sample of bone fragments collected from chimpanzee hunts.

Chimpanzee skeleton