New Data on Large Brown Bear (Ursus arctos L., 1758, Ursidae,Carnivora, Mammalia) from the Pleistocene in Yakutia

Doklady Earth Sciences - New finds of brown bear (Ursus arctos L., 1758) fossil remains from the territory of Yakutia, namely, skulls and mandibular bones, have been investigated. The new finds are...     

Evolution of bone-cracking adaptations in hyaenids (Mammalia,Carnivora)

The Hyaenidae are one of the most diverse groups of carnivores in terms of body size and craniodental morphology, and as such they represent an ideal case to study the correlation between dental, and skeletal anatomy, and behavioral ecology in mammals. However, a comprehensive analysis, based on extant and fossil forms, including both gross-morphological and microstructural characters, is lacking. In this work, some representatives of the Hyaenidae were examined, in order to document the diversity of the masticatory apparatus, including enamel microstructure, and to trace the evolution of bone-cracking adaptations within this group. Primitive hyaenids lack bonecracking modifications as compared to the generalized carnivore morphotype, in agreement with their insectivorous-omnivorous diet. A key innovation in hyaenid evolution was the acquisition of an enamel dominated by zig-zag Hunter-Schreger bands in the Middle Miocene, marking the transition of the group to the bone-eating niche. The observed morphological changes in hyaenids suggest an increasing degree of specialization towards bone-consumption. Editorial handling: J.-P. Billon-Bruyat & M. Chiari (Guest)     

Additive effects of climate change and human hunting explain population decline and extinction in cave bears

Cave bears (Ursus spelaeus) are an iconic component of the European late Quaternary Ice Age megafauna. Recent demographic analyses based on cave bear mtDNA sequences and refined radiocarbon dating indicate that cave bear population size and genetic diversity started to decline some 50 kilo years ago (kya). Hence, neither the coldest phase of the last glaciation (started some 24 kya), nor the colonization of Europe by Palaeolithic hunters (started some 45 kya) coincides with the beginning of population decline. Here, we reconstructed cave bear climatic niche evolution through time. Then, we performed spatially explicit population viability analyses to assess cave bear demographics through time in response to climatic changes, human effects on bear survival and their combination. We found that climate change was responsible for a 10‐fold decrease in cave bear population size after 40 kya. However, climate change on its own could not explain U. spelaeus extinction at 24 kya. Additional negative effects consistent with human population expansion are required to explain both U. spelaeus' retreat from eastern Europe since 40 kya and its final extinction.     

Human impact in a tourist karstic cave (Aracena, Spain)

 Human intrusion on the Cave of Marvels (southwestern Spain) has produced a series of effects on the water (fall in the level of the pools due to pumping from nearby wells), the air (increased temperature and CO₂ concentration as well as decreased relative humidity) and the rock. In addition, plant colonization, favored by the lighting system, has irreversibly altered numerous speleothems. The processes of degradation are especially intense in the sectors with less air volume and limited ventilation. The analysis of the cave deposits by scanning electron microscopy and thin section analysis revealed that floral pollution constitutes one of the most aggressive agents against the calcite and aragonite precipitates, being responsible for biochemical and biophysical degradation of the first order. Received: 18 December 1995 · Accepted 10 September 1996     

溶洞顶板极限承载力研究

针对国标《工程岩体分级标准》[1]中Ⅲ、Ⅳ类岩体条件,采用显式有限差分法,对岩溶地区扩大基础下椭球状溶洞顶板稳定性进行了分析。通过对溶洞顶板的应力和位移变化规律及塑性区演化规律研究,得出在两种岩体条件下不同溶洞跨度和顶板厚度时溶洞顶板的极限承载力,绘出了溶洞跨度、顶板厚度对极限承载力的联合影响曲面。溶洞顶板的极限承载力随溶洞跨度的增大而减小,随溶洞顶板厚度的增大而增大。在其他条件相同时,Ⅳ类岩体的溶洞顶板极限承载力仅为Ⅲ类岩体的1/3左右。     

旅游活动对巴马水晶宫洞穴环境及碳酸钙沉积物景观的影响

巴马县水晶宫洞内次生化学碳酸盐（钙）沉积物景观丰富,类型多样,有石钟乳、石幔、石瀑布、石笋、石柱、石盾等特色景观;尤其是近期仍在发育的洞顶鹅管、卷曲石、石花和石毛等是国内外较为罕见的洞穴奇景。自2007年水晶宫开发以来,对巴马水晶宫洞穴环境及碳酸钙沉积物景观等进行了监测,发现洞穴内流水、滴水、池水数量点减少; 洞穴温度升高、湿度降低,CO2浓度增加,空气负离子浓度减小以及普遍滋生(藻类、苔藓、蕨类等)灯光植物和洞穴景观表面的污染与变色污染、老化等现象。依据洞穴环境变化规律,提出有利于洞穴环境保护以及景观修复的相关措施,为科学合理保护开发旅游洞穴提供重要的科学依据及广泛的应用前景。      

Microclimatic characterization of a karstic cave: human impact on microenvironmental parameters of a prehistoric rock art cave (Candamo Cave, northern Spain)

The Candamo Cave contains an important group of paleolithic paintings which have been seriously deteriorated due to mass tourism. In this work, an analysis was carried out of different climatic parameters (CO₂, temperature, humidity, ²²²Rn) during annual cycles with the cave closed to the public and during an experimental period of controlled visits. The effect of visits on the geochemical characteristics of karstic water was also analyzed together with the cave ventilation. The natural variations in the cave air CO₂ were above 3000 ppm, the increase produced through visits was only 100–110 ppm and since the humidity is almost permanently at saturation point, the critical parameter which limits the visitor capacity becomes air temperature. The temperature changes during the annual cycle are of the order of 1  °C in the external part and less than 0.5  °C in the internal part of the cave and a maximum increase of 0.13  °C was observed during the period of the visits. The ²²²Rn and CO₂ concentration minimums in the summer period (July–October) show that this is the most propitious time for visits, since the greatest ventilation is produced in the cave at this time and, therefore, the greatest capacity for recovery. The geochemistry of the water, on the other hand, indicated that this is the period of the year in which processes of wall corrosion can be most easily introduced, although this would be of limited magnitude. The visitor capacity calculated was 29 visitors/day. Received: 29 August 1996 · Accepted: 23 June 1997     

First record of Procyon cancrivorus (G. Cuvier, 1798) (Carnivora,Procyonidae) in stratigraphic context in the Late Pleistocene of Brazil

Although five genera of procyonids are currently present in South America, only two of the extant genera, Procyon and Nasua are represented in the South American fossil record. A recent discovery of a procyonid lower second molar in Late Pleistocene deposits of Aurora do Tocantins, northern Brazil, offers potential to further our understanding of the stratigraphic and temporal range of South American fossil procyonids. We use geometric morphometric analysis of two-dimensional landmarks and semilandmarks to explore morphological variation in the lower second molars of extant Procyon lotor and Procyon cancrivorus and multivariate methods to support the identification of the Pleistocene specimen as P. cancrivorus. This material represents the second fossil record of P. cancrivorus in South America Procyonids entered South America in two phases: the first comprising by Cyonasua and Chapadmalania during the Late Miocene, and the other recent genera, beginning in the Late Pleistocene. These Late Miocene procyonids were more carnivorous than Late Pleistocene-Recent omnivorous taxa and possible went extinct due to competition with other placental carnivorans that entered South America and diversified during the latest Pliocene-Early Pleistocene.     

Red pandas (Mammalia,Carnivora: Parailurus) in the biomes of North Eurasia and North America

The discovery of the Pliocene red panda (Parailurus) in the West Transbaikal area, as well as Asian raccoons in North Eurasia and North America, indicates that forested areas with bamboo bushes were wide-spread in the Holarctic during the Neogene. During the Late Pliocene, due to a gradual cooling of the climate, altiplanation, and other factors, their habitat started disintegrating, and red pandas began dying out, surviving only in China.     

Lepidorbitoides (Foraminifera) from the lower Maastrichtian Kallankuruchchi Formation,Cauvery Basin,India: Morphometry and paleobiogeography

The southernmost occurrence of the early Maastrichtian larger benthic foraminifera (LBF) in Tethys is known from the Kallankuruchchi Formation in the Cauvery Basin, SE India, represented by Lepidorbitoides-Siderolites assemblages. The systematics, age and paleobiogeography of Lepidorbitoides here have as yet remained unresolved due to lack of information particularly on the nepionic arrangement, whereas their links with the Western Tethyan and Caribbean biogeographic domains were speculated. Lepidorbitoides, studied from the same level in seven samples in two separate areas, invariably possess quadriserial nepionts and adauxiliary chamberlets, whose mean number ranges from 3.79 to 4.67. The ratio between the sample means of the internal diameter of deuteroconch and protoconch varies between 1.72 and 1.86. The equatorial layer in the early stage consists of arcuate chambers with basal stolons, and ogival-to spatulate chamberlets with annular and oblique stolons in the later stages. These features are consistent with the phylogenetically advanced members of the Western Tethyan Lepidorbitoides lineage, such as L. minor (Schlumberger) and L. socialis (Leymerie), and all samples were assigned to the transitional development stages of these species based on the morphometry. The taxonomic status of some Lepidorbitoides species, originally described from the Kallankuruchchi Formation and widely adopted in previous works, such as L. blanfordi (Rao) and L. inornata (Rao), are not justified. We extend the geographic range of Western Tethyan Lepidorbitoides to southern India.     

Find of the remains of the North American Ferinestrix (Carnivora,Mustelidae) in the Western Transbaikalian region

Doklady Earth Sciences -     

The First Find of Seals of the Genus Pachyphoca (Carnivora,Phocidae) in Miocene Rocks of Rostov Region

Doklady Earth Sciences - The fossil remains of a seal of the genus Pachyphoca from the Upper Miocene Sarmatian stratum of the Morskaya-3 site (Neklinovskii district, Rostov region) were described....     

Extinction chronology and palaeobiology of the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus)

The cave bear ( Ursus spelaeus ) was one of several spectacular megafaunal species that became extinct in northern Eurasia during the late Quaternary. Vast numbers of their remains have been recovered from many cave sites, almost certainly representing animals that died during winter hibernation. On the evidence of skull anatomy and low δ¹⁵N values of bone collagen, cave bears appear to have been predominantly vegetarian. The diet probably included substantial high quality herbaceous vegetation. In order to address the reasons for the extinction of the cave bear, we have constructed a chronology using only radiocarbon dates produced directly on cave bear material. The date list is largely drawn from the literature, and as far as possible the dates have been audited (screened) for reliability. We also present new dates from our own research, including results from the Urals. U. spelaeus probably disappeared from the Alps and adjacent areas – currently the only region for which there is fairly good evidence – c . 24 000 radiocarbon years BP ( c . 27 800 cal. yr BP), approximately coincident with the start of Greenland Stadial 3 ( c . 27 500 cal. yr BP). Climatic cooling and inferred decreased vegetational productivity were probably responsible for its disappearance from this region. We are investigating the possibility that cave bear survived significantly later elsewhere, for example in southern or eastern Europe.     

重庆巫山玉米洞遗址MIS 2阶段的鼹科动物化石

重庆市巫山县玉米洞遗址第②-2层的时代为更新世最晚期,可与MIS 2阶段相对应。文章系统研究了这一层位中的鼹科动物化石,对其进行了详细的形态学描述和对比,依据齿式、齿冠结构和尺寸大小将之分别鉴定为长尾鼩鼹Scaptonyx fusicaudus、白尾鼹Parascaptor leucurus和宽齿鼹Euroscaptor grandis,均为现生的区域灭绝种。从这3个物种的现代分布范围和生境判断,玉米洞遗址在MIS 2阶段的古环境较现代更为寒凉,与横断山区或秦岭海拔2000~3000 m处相当。喜寒凉的鼹科动物在MIS 2阶段向低海拔处迁徙扩散,而当全新世暖期到来时,玉米洞周边并无供其生存的适宜环境,这些鼹科动物在此区域灭绝。

     

Faunas from the upper silurian (upper ludlovian) in the ludlow-much wenlock district,England

Faunal lists for 17 sections in the Overton Formation are presented. Faunal diversity appears to increase towards the formations base while faunal dominance appears to increase towards its top.     

Evidence of palaeoseismicity in a flowstone of the Observatoire cave (Monaco)

Abstract

Monaco is a medium seismicity zone. The Observatoire cave, a well decorated show cave, is a good place for palaeoseismicity studies. On the floor of the cave it is possible to observe a great number of collapsed sodastraws. The breakages are attributed to the 1887 Ligurian earthquake. A borehole in a flowstone shows several levels of collapses that may indicate ancient earthquakes. © Elsevier, Paris     

Evidence of palaeoseismicity in a flowstone of the Observatoire cave (Monaco)

Monaco is a medium seismicity zone. The Observatoire cave, a well decorated show cave, is a good place for palaeoseismicity studies. On the floor of the cave it is possible to observe a great number of collapsed sodastraws. The breakages are attributed to the 1887 Ligurian earthquake. A borehole in a flowstone shows several levels of collapses that may indicate ancient earthquakes.     

First Record of Hoplictis(Carnivora,Mustelidae) in East Asia from the Miocene of the Ulungur River Area,Xinjiang,Northwest China

The first unequivocal remains of medium to large-sized mustelids from the middle Miocene Halamagai and Kekemaideng formations have been found in the Ulungur River area, Xinjiang, northwestern China. These new fossils are referred to the hypercarnivorous mustelid Hoplictis Ginsburg, 1961 and denote the first record of the genus in East Asia.We define Hoplictis baihu n. sp., for the mustelid from Tieersihabahe(Halamagai Fm.), which represents the smallest species of the genus. This primitive form is closer to H. florancei and H. noueli than to H. anatolicus and later, larger and more derived Hoplictis spp., from Europe and North America. A large toothless mandible from Duolebulejin(Kekemaiden Fm.) is assigned to Hoplictis cf. helbingi, and it presumably might represent the first record of H. helbingi outside Western Europe. The systematic position of Hoplicitis in relation to Ischyrictis with which it is similar is clarified. The occurrence in East Asia of two species of Hoplictis greatly expands the known distribution and diversity of the genus, and supports a Palaearctic Neogene dispersal event of carnivorans between Europe and Asia during the late Shanwangian–early Tunggurian equivalent to MN5–6 in Europe, and indication of another dispersal event from Europe to North America,through Northwest China during the late Tunggurian, equivalent to MN7–8 in Europe.