late pleistocene population interaction in western europe

species represented in this occupation. However, Lavaud-Girard (1980, 1993) noted that
some M3 from this level have a pinched, elongated, and vestibularly offset third lobe,
features that are argued to be more characteristic of aurochs (but see Slott-Moller 1990).
If Lavaud-Girard’s interpretation is correct, this might suggest the presence of a small
number of aurochs specimens in the assemblage.
Ferrié (2001) has recently studied a sample of bovine remains, mostly teeth, from
the Denticulate Mousterian level. Using the criteria presented above and several others, a
detailed analysis of the material led him to attribute the majority of the bovine specimens
to bison.
According to Guadelli (1987, 1999), the petrous bone can be used for
discriminating aurochs from bison. This author has accepted to study the bovine petrous
bones from Saint-Césaire (including those recovered from the Mousterian levels).
Guadelli’s results appear to support the above conclusions, as all the analyzable
specimens (n=14) studied by him were attributed to bison. Thus, cranial and postcranial
data converge to relate the majority of the bovine remains from Saint-Césaire to the
bison. As a result, we will use the latter term in the text to refer to bovines. Obviously,
this does not rule out the possibility raised by Lavaud-Girard (1980, 1993) that some
aurochs contributed to the assemblages.
Other taxa
At a much smaller scale, birds have also sporadically contributed to the
accumulations. Véronique Laroulandie, who recently completed an archaeozoological
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