Dental microwear analysis of Kudaro cave bears: Insights into dietary evolution from the Middle to Late Pleistocene.

The dietary changes of early cave bear populations from the Middle to Late Pleistocene are poorly understood. In this study, we analysed 60 m1 through dental microwear analysis of three diachronic Middle (Ursus praekudarensis and U. praekudarensis / kudarensis) to Late Pleistocene (U. kudarensis) populations inhabiting the Kudaro 1 and Kudaro 3 caves in the Southern Caucasus. The diet of all populations was inferred to be omnivorous, although it changed over time, adapting to the climatic and ecological conditions of the period. Bones from U. praekudarensis / kudarensis populations accumulated throughout the year; thus, microwear suggests an average annual diet dominated by plant resources. The widespread presence of hypercoarse scratches in U. kudarensis and U. praekudarensis populations suggests animal protein intake during the hyperphagia. The presence of omnivorous guild competitors and harsh conditions in a high-altitude environment could have driven the Caucasian cave bears to consume animal protein as a fallback diet during their predormancy period. Furthermore, the cave bears' capacity for dietary flexibility through time highlights the ability of cave bears to withstand climatic changes, while competition with other omnivorous species could have driven their dietary niche during their hyperphagia period towards animal protein consumption throughout the Middle to Late Pleistocene. • First diachronic dental microwear study of the cave bear linage • High capacity to adapt to different ecological conditions by cave bears • Evidence of occasional animal consumption by cave bears • Competition for resources with other omnivores shaped cave bear diet through time [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]