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Abstract:
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La proposta de la domesticació de Myotragus balearicus pels primers pobladors humans de Mallorca, una hipòtesi clàssica de la prehistòria balear durant les darreres dècades del segle passat, ha estat recentment qüestionada. Les alteracions en forma de "V" observades a banyes de Myotragus, obtingudes a jaciments que contenien restes hwnanes i de fauna prehumana, varen ser inicialment considerades com a una prova de manipulació humana. Les banyes s'haurien seccionat per tal d'evitar que animals presumptament estabulats dins corrals es fessin mal entre ells. Ramis & Bover (2001) rebutjaren aquesta aproximació, i identificaren les alteracions en "V" observades a les banyes de Myotragus balearicus com resultat d'un comportament osteofàgic, una conducta coneguda a diversos bòvids i cèrvids, però no registrada fins a les hores a Myotragus balearicus. El comportament osteofagic no ha estat acceptat per alguns autors en articles recents, que encara proclamen l'autoria humana de les alteracions a les banyes, en base a dades de 1i¡'C. En aquest article, es presenten noves evidències que recolzen inequívocament que la conducta osteofàgica de Myotragus és la causa exclusiva del patró d'alteració registrat a les banyes. Recentment s'han recol-lectat nous materials de banyes de Myotragus que presenten alteracions en "V" provinents d'un jaciment subaquàtic a 10 m de profunditat en una cavitat submergida (un lloc sense possibilitat de relació entre Myotragus i humans) i materials provinents d'un jaciment del Pleistocè Mitjà. ; The proposal of the domestication of Myotragus balearicus by the first settlers on Mallorca, a topic in the Balearic prehistory during the last part of the previous century, has been recently disqualified. The "V"-trimmed Myotragus horn cores obtained from deposits containing human remains and pre-hwnan fauna were initially considered as a proof of human manipulation in order to avoid damage in animals assumedly gathered in corrals. After Ramis & Baver (2001) this approach has been refused and the "V"-trimmed horn cores of Myotragus balearicus were identified as the result of an osteophagic behaviour, a kind of behaviour previously known in some extant bovids and cervids, but as so far unrecorded on Myotragus balearicus. Although the osteophagic behaviour has been unaccepted by some recent authors, still claiming for a humancaused trimming of horn cores, new evidence supports our approach. Claims of Davis (2002) are based in 1i¡'C, a methodelogy recently used to study the diet of fossil and recent mammals. In our presentation we argue again on the osteophagic behavior of Myotragus ss a exclusive cause for the recorded trimmed horn cores. New materials displaying tile same "V" -trimmed horn cores pattern come from recently exhumed materials discovered in a subaquatic deposit at 10 m underwater in a flooded cave (a place with no possibility of relation between Myotragus and humans) and from Middle Pleistocene deposits. |
Requiem for Myotragus balearicus domestication