Malikov D.G., Burova V.V., Klementiev A.M., Malikova E.L. 2024. The distribution of the cave lion and the cave hyena in the Late Pleistocene of Baikal-Yenisei Siberia // Russian J. Theriol. Vol.23. No.1. P.83–94 [in English].
Dmitriy G. Malikov [dgmalikov@igm.nsc.ru], Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia; Valeria V. Burova [valeria_29_05@mail.ru], A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119071, Russia, Irkutsk State University, 1, K. Marx st., Irkutsk, 664003, Russia; Alexey M. Klementiev [klem-al@bk.ru], Institute of the Earth’s Crust, Siberian Branch Russian Academy of Sciences, Irkutsk, 664003, Russia; Ekaterina L. Malikova [malikovael@igm.nsc.ru], Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia.
doi: 10.15298/rusjtheriol.23.1.09
ABSTRACT. An analysis of the geographical distribution of the cave lion (Panthera spelaea) and the cave hyena (Crocuta spelaea) finds in Baikal-Yenisei Siberia has shown that these species were predominantly confined to different landscapes. The cave lion tended to inhabit plains and river valleys, whereas the cave hyena inhabited foothill areas. The cave hyenas were especially abundant at the beginning of Karginian interstadial (MIS 3) and persisted up to Karginian–Sartanian boundary (MIS 3–MIS 2). The cave lion had a broader chronological distribution during the second half of the Late Pleistocene. Panthera spelaea persisted in the region almost until the terminal Pleistocene, and its demise was apparently associated with extinction of the largest representatives of the mammoth fauna.
KEY WORDS: cave lion, cave hyena, palaeozoogeography, Late Pleistocene, 14C-dating, extinction.