Hunt History

Humans (both Homo sapiens and possibly Neanderthals) hunted hydruntines. Archaeological sites show remains with cut marks and butchery associations from Paleolithic through the Holocene in various parts of its range.

Because the hydruntine occupied open landscapes and likely formed small groups, it would have been vulnerable to human hunting and competition. Over time, habitat changes (climatic shifts, expansion of forests) and competition with domestic livestock further stressed populations.

Three archaeological / fossil instances indicating human predation or co-occurrence:

Remains in cave sites of France and Spain (Palaeolithic era) showing cut marks on hydruntine bones.

Neolithic and Chalcolithic pottery and engravings in Anatolia showing depictions that likely represent hydruntines, indicating human cultural contact.

Late Holocene remains dated to Iron Age in Anatolian sites whose mitochondrial DNA cluster with hydruntine lineage—a sign that these animals persisted in human-impacted landscapes until late periods.