Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 55(1) 2012

Issue:

VOL 55(1) 2012

DOI:

10.3409/azc.55_1.89

Keywords:

Fossil rodents, late Pleistocene, taphonomy, Eastern Europe

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Remains of small mammals from fossil burrows in the archaeological Pleistocene site Ihrovytsya (western Ukraine)

• Magdalena KRAJCARZ
• Maciej T. KRAJCARZ
• Adam NADACHOWSKI
• Oleksandr SYTNYK

Abstract:

This paper presents the results of study on fossil materials collected from the archaeological site Ihrovytsya I (western Ukraine). The small mammals remains were accumulated inside fossil animal burrows. Six taxa of rodents (Spermophilus sp., Microtus gregalis, Microtus arvalis/gregalis, Microtus (Terricola) sp., Dicrostonyx gulielmi and Lemmus lemmus) and one taxon of lagomorphs (Ochotona pusilla) were identified among the collected bone remains. Species representation indicates a typical steppe-tundra community related with a cool climatic period. The age of the assemblage is confirmed by their position in a stratified and previously geologically investigated profile and should be connected with early part of the Last Glaciation (MIS 5a-5b or early part of MIS 4).