Ancient biomolecules suggest a learned foraging strategy in extinct cave bears

Abstract

Studying the behavioral ecology of long-extinct species is challenging due to the difficulty in measuring the behavioral phenotype and correlating this with genetic and environmental factors. However, a multidisciplinary approach integrating isotope analysis of diet and ancient DNA analysis of genetic relationships offers a potential framework to test the proximate causes of dietary preferences. Our study focuses on Late Pleistocene cave bears from the Romanian Carpathians. Stable isotope analysis of bone collagen reveals substantial lifetime variation in food plant preferences among individuals. We find that bears with similar diets do not cluster according to their population structure, sex, time period, climatic conditions, or location. This disconnect suggests that diet preferences in cave bears are not genetically inherited, and instead that individuals adapted their diets based on foraging experience. This integrative approach opens avenues for understanding Pleistocene animal behavior, leveraging ancient biomolecules synergistically to reveal insights otherwise inaccessible. Subject areas: biochemistry, ecological biochemistry, evolutionary biology, paleobiology