Bears and Big Cats Interactions during Prehistoric Times

[tigerluver]

Bocherens et al. (2011) answers the cave lion-bear relationship much more thoroughly with molecular evidence. Points applicable here:

• The results of the present work strongly support the hypothesis that cave lions had an individualistic predatory behaviour. The scattering of their isotopic values suggests that different individuals were consuming prey with contrasting isotopic signature on a regular basis. This is in agreement with previous palaeobiological reconstructions based on the poor development of mane in male cave lions as documented by prehistoric parietal art that would indicate solitary hunting behaviour or hunting by breeding pairs of lion and lioness (Guthrie, 1990), although the relationship between mane development and social behaviour of lion is contested by others (e.g., Yamaguchi et al., 2004).
• The possibility that some cave lions consumed high proportion of cave bears, especially young ones, is supported by the present study. Predation by cave lion has been suggested previously as a mortality cause of cave bear yearlings (e.g., Weinstock, 1999) and even the habit of cave bears to hibernated deep into cave system has been suggested to be a defence against predation by cave lions, among others (Diedrich, 2009b). The fact that the bone collagen of some individuals of cave lions was strongly influenced by the isotopic signature of young cave bears and that this tissue records an average of the food consumed during several years suggests that consumption of young cave bear may not have been accidental but was rather performed on a regular basis by some cave lions. Among modern lions, some individual dietary specialization on unusual prey has been documented, for instance the so-called “man-eaters from Tsavo”, and were found especially in case of prey scarcity and in individuals suffering from craniodental infirmities (Yeakel et al., 2009).
  

The social structure of cave lion is debated, there is evidence supporting both solitary and pride behavior. The above study support solitary to pair behavior. Young bears were the prime target, also indicating solitary behavior, as a single cave lion could take on a young one which would be similar sized to the late Pleistocene cave lion (~230 kg). The rest of the study is attached. Reply