Food web structure during the European Pleistocene

摘要: Several models that have been proposed for explaining human evolution involve human-carnivore relationships. Reconstructing the structure and functioning of past food webs is, therefore, essential evaluating assumptions conclusions these models. Here we present a preliminary attempt to reconstruct some Pleistocene from Iberian Peninsula compare them with recent several regions environments. The work is first step towards reconstruction web dynamics aimed at gaining better understanding role humans in webs. Our analysis was restricted mammals weighing more than 10 kg because they constitute portion allegedly included hominins. Predator-prey interactions fossil species pairs are inferred their body sizes, evidence record behavioural information close living relatives. number potential prey per predator compared, relationship between secondary consumers standing biomass primary consumers, estimated using allometric relationships, investigated. show distinctive architecture, relatively large small consumers. In addition, size distribution also differs results point high intraguild competition during Pleistocene, especially Early which may conditioned resource availability Paleolithic hunter-gatherer populations.