Man-eaters

[Ngala]

Dietary behaviour of man-eating lions as revealed by dental microwear textures DeSantis & Patterson, 2017

*This image is copyright of its original author

Images of injuries to Tsavo’s 1st man-eater (a), FMNH 23970 and the Mfuwe man-eater (b), FMNH 163109. Image (a), Field Museum of Natural History image Z-94320_11c by John Weinstein documents a broken lower right canine (which had a periapical abscess) and loss of the lower three right incisors - presumably from the kick of a struggling prey - and subsequent over-eruption of the upper right incisors and rotation of the upper right canine both labially and mesially in the absence of the interlocking lower canine. In (b), multiple oval-shaped intraosseous lesions are visible on the right mandible, superficial to an occluded mandibular canal and associated with a chronically draining fistula15. Again, these injuries are consistent with blunt trauma from a powerful ungulate kick.

Abstract:
"Lions (Panthera leo) feed on diverse prey species, a range that is broadened by their cooperative hunting. Although humans are not typical prey, habitual man-eating by lions is well documented. Fathoming the motivations of the Tsavo and Mfuwe man-eaters (killed in 1898 in Kenya and 1991 in Zambia, respectively) may be elusive, but we can clarify aspects of their behaviour using dental microwear texture analysis. Specifically, we analysed the surface textures of lion teeth to assess whether these notorious man-eating lions scavenged carcasses during their depredations. Compared to wild-caught lions elsewhere in Africa and other large feliforms, including cheetahs and hyenas, dental microwear textures of the man-eaters do not suggest extreme durophagy (e.g. bone processing) shortly before death. Dental injuries to two of the three man-eaters examined may have induced shifts in feeding onto softer foods. Further, prompt carcass reclamation by humans likely limited the man-eaters’ access to bones. Man-eating was likely a viable alternative to hunting and/or scavenging ungulates due to dental disease and/or limited prey availability." Reply