Crazy like a fox? How the study of archaeological fox remains can help to understand human behavior in the Late Pleistocene of the Swabian Jura (Germany)

Archaeological fox remains reveal that early modern humans in the Swabian Jura (Germany) hunted foxes using traps, likely baited with food leftovers, from around 42,000 years ago. This hunting activity led to a significant increase in fox abundance in the archaeological record during the Aurignacian period, unlike the Middle Palaeolithic layers where foxes entered caves naturally. Stable isotope analysis of fox bones further demonstrated that some Late Pleistocene foxes exhibited synanthropic behavior, adapting their diet to include human food resources, suggesting early human-fox interactions. The study establishes a correlation between fox abundance and human settlement intensity, indicating that foxes can serve as proxies for Palaeolithic occupation and environmental impact.

Baumann, C. (2020). Crazy like a fox? How the study of archaeological fox remains can help to understand human behavior in the Late Pleistocene of the Swabian Jura (Germany). Universität Tübingen. https://doi.org/10.15496/PUBLIKATION-51230