Adrian Marciszak

Two forms of cave lion: Middle Pleistocene Panthera spelaea fossilis REICHENAU, 1906 and Upper Pleistocene Panthera spelaea spelaea GOLDFUSS, 1810 from the Bisnik Cave, Poland

Two forms of cave lion Panthera spelaea GOLDFUSS, 1810: Middle Pleistocene Panthera spelaea fossilis REICHENAU, 1906 and Upper Pleistocene Panthera spelaea spelaea GOLDFUSS, 1810 are reported from the Bisnik Cave (Czþ estochowa Upland, Southern Poland). A detailed examination of tooth (particularly carnassials) and mandible morphology provides a basis to discuss the inferred size trend from the earlier, bigger P. s. fossilis to the smaller and more recent chronosubspecies P. s. spelaea. The original acquisition labels and detailed stratigraphy make it possible to place these finds within an updated stratigraphic and biochronological framework. The cave lion remains from the Bisnik Cave show that the large, primitive form fossilis was replaced by the more specialized form spelaea.

Genetic analysis of cave bear specimens from Niedźwiedzia Cave, Sudetes, Poland

The vast majority of fossil remains in Late Pleistocene deposits from Niedźwiedzia Cave in Kletno, Sudetes, Poland, belong to the cave bear. Phylogenetic analyses based on a fragment of the mitochondrial D-loop region extracted from two cave bear samples unambiguously showed their close relationship with the Ursus ingressus haplogroup. This taxonomic affiliation of the cave bear remains from Niedźwiedzia Cave was further confirmed by biometrical analyses of molar teeth and skulls. Our results represent the first record of U. ingressus north of the Carpathian Arch, while radiocarbon dating (> 49,000 yr BP) of the samples indicates that they represent some of the oldest specimens of this cave bear taxon known so far. Multi-method phylogenetic analyses including numerous publicly available cave bear sequences allowed analysing the relationships among these samples in details, including the significance of particular clades, and discussing some aspects of cave bear phylogeography. The sequences of U. ingressus from Poland are most closely related to specimens from the Ural Mountains and next to Slovenia, which may indicate migrations between Central and Eastern European populations. The internal placement of Ural samples among European specimens in phylogenetic trees and the older age of Polish samples than those from Urals suggest that the eastward expansion of U. ingressus may have started from Central Europe. Mateusz Baca (corresponding author). Center for Precolumbian Studies, University of Warsaw, Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28, 00-927 Warsaw, Poland. bacamat@gmail.com Anna Stankovic. Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Science, Pawińskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland. anams@ibb.waw.pl Krzysztof Stefaniak. Department of Palaeozoology, Zoological Institute, University of Wrocław, Sienkiewicza 21, 50-335 Wrocław, Poland. stefanik@biol.uni.wroc.pl Adrian Marciszak. Department of Palaeozoology, Zoological Institute, University of Wrocław, Sienkiewicza 21, 50-335 Wrocław, Poland. caspian8@wp.pl Michael Hofreiter. Department of Biology (Area 2), The University of York, Wentworth Way, Heslington York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom. michi@palaeo.eu Adam Nadachowski. Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sławkowska 17, 31-016 Cracow, Poland. nadachowski@isez.pan.krakow.pl Piotr Węgleński. Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Science, Pawińskiego 5a, PE Article Number: 15.2.21A Copyright: Palaeontological Association July 2012 Submission: 8 September 2011. Acceptance: 5 June 2012 Baca, Mateusz, Stankovic, Anna, Stefaniak, Krzysztof, Marciszak, Adrian, Hofreiter, Michael, Nadachowski, Adam, Węgleński, Piotr, and Mackiewicz, Paweł. 2012. Genetic analysis of cave bear specimens from Niedźwiedzia Cave, Sudetes, Poland. Palaeontologia Electronica Vol. 15, Issue 2;21A,16p; palaeo-electronica.org/content/2012-issue-2-articles/263-cave-bears-from-poland BACA ET AL.: CAVE BEARS FROM POLAND 02-106 Warsaw, Poland. wegle@adm.uw.edu.pl Paweł Mackiewicz (corresponding author). Department of Genomics, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego 63/77, 51-148 Wrocław, Poland. pamac@smorfland.uni.wroc.pl

Human-mediated dispersal of cats in the Neolithic Central Europe

Archeological and genetic evidence suggest that all domestic cats derived from the Near Eastern wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica) and were first domesticated in the Near East around 10,000 years ago. The spread of the domesticated form in Europe occurred much later, primarily mediated by Greek and Phoenician traders and afterward by Romans who introduced cats to Western and Central Europe around 2000 years ago. We investigated mtDNA of Holocene Felis remains and provide evidence of an unexpectedly early presence of cats bearing the Near Eastern wildcat mtDNA haplotypes in Central Europe, being ahead of Roman period by over 2000 years. The appearance of the Near Eastern wildcats in Central Europe coincides with the peak of Neolithic settlement density, moreover most of those cats belonged to the same mtDNA lineages as those domesticated in the Near East. Thus, although we cannot fully exclude that the Near Eastern wildcats appeared in Central Europe as a result of introgression with European wildcat, our findings support the hypothesis that the Near Eastern wildcats spread across Europe together with the first farmers, perhaps as commensal animals. We also found that cats dated to the Neolithic period belonged to different mtDNA lineages than those brought to Central Europe in Roman times, this supports the hypothesis that the gene pool of contemporary European domestic cats might have been established from two different source populations that contributed in different periods.

Mammals from Solna Jama Cave

Mammals from Solna Jama Cave were parts of two main faunal assemblages. The earlier one, dated as MIS 3, included few bones of the Ursus ingressus and a single m2 of the huge Ursus arctos priscus. The later one, of postglacial age (MIS 1), was represented, among others, by the Canis lupus, Mustela eversmanii and Felis silvestris. The most impressive find, a skull and partial skeleton of a very large and robust Gulo gulo, is the only reliable Polish record of the species from postglacial period. The find expands the knowledge of the Sudetes fauna from the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary. Morphometric characteristics of carnivores, which greatly outnumbered the other mammal taxa in the site, showed some adaptation to cool climatic conditions. Adrian Marciszak. Department of Paleozoology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wrocław, Sienkiewicza 21, 50-335 Wrocław, Poland. adrian.marciszak@uwr.edu.pl Wiktoria Gornig. Department of Paleozoology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wrocław, Sienkiewicza 21, 50-335 Wrocław, Poland. wiktoria.gornig@uwr.edu.pl Krzysztof Stefaniak. Department of Paleozoology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Wrocław, Sienkiewicza 21, 50-335 Wrocław, Poland. krzysztof.stefaniak@uwr.edu.pl

Small carnivores from a Late Neolithic burial chamber at Çatalhöyük, Turkey: pelts, rituals, and rodents

Results derived from the analysis of small carnivores from a burial chamber at the Late Neolithic Çatalhöyük (TP Area) shed light on the socioeconomic significance of stone martens (Martes foina), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), and common weasels (Mustela nivalis). All of these are fur-bearing animals, though only the stone marten remains to show evidence that this animal was exploited for its pelt. The evidence consists of the observed skeletal bias (only the head parts and foot bones were present) and skinning marks. Two of five sets of articulated feet are most likely linked with an almost completely preserved human infant skeleton, one of two well-preserved skeletons that were interred on the burial chamber floor. In contrast to these, other human skeletons were found mostly incompletely preserved, though with evidence of articulation. It seems that the articulated forepaws were deliberately incorporated into the structure, most likely as a part of burial practice and ritual behavior. These distinctive deposits, along with rich grave goods, emphasize the uniqueness in the entire Anatolian Neolithic of the assemblage from the burial chamber, which is decorated by a panel incised with spiral motifs.

Large mammals from historical collections of open-air sites of Silesia (southern Poland) with special reference to carnivores and rhinoceros

Abstract The information presented here is based on 174 sites; it is a result of a detailed historical collection revision of materials from Silesia and also the first comprehensive paper after the early German and Polish compilations. Though our work includes both quantitative and qualitative updates, it is neither exhaustive nor complete. It is very likely that many finds have not yet been reported to scientific institutions or museums, or else remain in private collections. The localities concerned are dominated by remains found under or within alluvial deposits of the last glaciation or in the context of loess sediments. Most of the documented remains are from the Late Pleistocene. Cold-adapted members of steppe-tundra faunal assemblages, such as Mammuthus primigenius, Equus ferus, Coelodonta antiquitatis, Rangifer tarandus, Ovibos moschatus, and Bison priscus dominate. Most artiodactyls were found in alluvial sediments, in bogs or swamps, while carnivores are represented only by isolated remains. The location of faunal assemblages and isolated finds shows the importance of river valleys as migrations routes. Silesia stretches along the Odra River, which runs in a roughly south-north direction, and connects the Sudety Mts and the Głubczyce Plateau with the wide, open lowlands of Eastern Germany and Western Poland.

Impact of climatic changes in the Late Pleistocene on migrations and extinction of mammals in Europe: four case studies

Climate changes that occurred during the Late Pleistocene have profound effects on the distribution of many plant and animal species and influenced the formation of contemporary faunas and floras of Europe. The course and mechanisms of responses of species to the past climate changes are now being intensively studied by the use of direct radiocarbon dating and genetic analyses of fossil remains. Here, we review the advances in understanding these processes by the example of four mammal species: woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), cave bear (Ursus spelaeus s. l.), saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) and collared lemmings (Dicrostonyx ssp.). The cases discussed here as well as others show that the migrations, range shifts and local extinctions were the main responses to climate changes and that the dynamics of these climate driven processes were much more profound than it was previously thought. Each species reacted by its individual manner, which depended on its biology and adaptation abilities to the changing environment and climate conditions. The most severe changes in European ecosystems that affected the largest number of species took place around 33–31 ka BP, during the Last Glacial Maximum 22–19 ka BP and the Late Glacial warming 15–13 ka BP.