Mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) in the periglacial faunas of Ukraine [Le mammouth (Mammuthus primigenius) dans la faune périglaciale de l'Ukraine].

Résumé

In localities connected with camps (stands) of ancient man (Mezin, Mazhirich, Pushkari, Zhuravka, Gontsy, Dobranichevka, Lypa IV, Molodova and others), this species almost always dominates in its number of remains. In river-bed deposits of the Dnieper River this genus is also predominant. There Mammoth faunas of the second half of the Pleistocene of Ukraine have been studied thoroughly on the basis of numerous discoveries of the remains of the typical genera in various taphonomic types of burials. These faunas are practically always characterized by the presence of Mammuthus primigenius. is a smaller quantity (number) of its remains in loesses, fossilized soils and cave grotto deposits. The qualitative composition of attendant genera is very consistent for certain landscape-climate zones of Ukraine and contiguous territories. For example, in the northern part of Ukraine (the central part of the Russian Plain), the periglacial zone with ecologically mixed theriofauna (mammal fauna) is considered today to be a natural-historical association. At that time specific conditions prevailed, with a particular set of species. Those conditions differed morphologically and therefore supported a taxonomically different mammal fauna than in other areas where we find closely related forms. Mammuthus primigenius, Dicrostonyx gulielmi, and Microtus gregalis prevailed there; Alopex lagopus, Rangifer tarandus, Ovibos moschatus, and Lemmus sibiricus were less consistently represented. Other species including Spermophilus, Lagurus lagurus, Allactaga jaculus, Ochotona spelaeus, and Equus latipes were predominant among the inhabitants of the steppe. Polyzonal species, mostly Carnivora, were not very representative. The central part of Ukraine, including its western regions, made up a special ecological zone (cold forest-steppe) during the late Pleistocene, which bordered on the periglacial zone. As before, Mammuthus primigenius, Rangifer tarandus, Spermophilus, and Lagurini were dominant. The peculiarity of the theriofauna of this zone is that species of polyzonal ecological landscapes appeared: many Carnivora, Cervidae, Muridae, Microtus arvalis and forest forms. In this case the qualitative composition of the mammoth theriofauna changed to include fewer northern forms and an increased role of polyzonal species (species with wide ecological plasticity). Such a fauna is to some degree transitional between the more northern typical periglacial mammoth fauna and the more southern steppe fauna where remains of Bison priscus prevail. At that time in the southern part of Ukraine open steppe predominated. The number Mammuthus primigenius was small (insignificant). The species Bison priscus, Rangifer tarandus, Equus latipes, Microtus arvalis - socialis groups, Marmota bobac, and Spermophilus dominated. The qualitative composition o the mammoth fauna noticeably changed at the expense of the predominance of steppe species, as well as abundance of the remains of Rangifer tarandus, especially in the western part of Ukraine. Conditions for the existence of this species were probably optimal; which is also indicated by the palynological data. There are no Dicrostonyx or Lemmus and very few Mammuthus primigenius, Microtus gregalis, Alopex lagopus, Gulo gulo, or Lagopus lagopus in this landscape zone. A peculiar composition of theriofauna was characteristic of the territory of the Crimea. Here Saiga tatarica, Alopex lagopus, Vulpes corsac, and Cervidae prevailed. Other species including Mammuthus primigenius, Coelodonta antiquitatis, and Capreolus were absent. Coelodonta antiquitatis, Megaloceros giganteus, Equus latipes, and Arvicola terrestris as well as Carnivora were poorly presented in the mammoth theriofauna of all landscape-climatic zones of Ukraine. Chan