Spatial signatures of carnivore-driven bone dispersal: A taphonomic analysis of modern proboscidean carcasses, and implications for Pleistocene elephant butchery sites

This study integrates spatial point-process statistics and multivariate ordination to evaluate carcass modification and carnivore impact in modern elephant assemblages and to contextualize three archaeological sites (Áridos-2, Marathousa 1 and EAK). Using a suite of inhomogeneous spatial metrics and Minkowski functionals, modern elephant carcasses reveal a structured gradient from highly clustered, carnivore-impacted spatial patterns to more diffuse configurations associated with higher skeletal survival and various degrees of carnivore post-depositional disturbance. Principal component analysis demonstrates that spatial clustering, short inter-point distances, and fragmented carcass footprints covary with increased tooth-mark frequencies and reduced survival, whereas dispersed point patterns correlate with greater skeletal preservation. When archaeological assemblages are projected into this multivariate space, Áridos-2 and EAK (with caution, given its complex sedimentary nature) align closely with modern clustered carcass patterns indicative of either intense carnivore intervention with limited cluster disturbance, or early depositional stages (preserving a high degree of carcass articulation) or both, while Marathousa 1 occupies an intermediate position consistent with more limited carnivore access and greater structural integrity of carcass remains after disarticulation. Together, these results show that spatial point-pattern structure captures taphonomic processes at the carcass scale and provides a robust framework for inferring carnivore impacts in deep-time proboscidean assemblages.