the Scientists of the Crimean Federal University, together with colleagues from Moscow and Yekaterinburg continued palaeontological research in the cave “Tavrida”. Among the new found bones in which the teeth of an ancient rhinoceros of stephanorhinus, which had not previously been detected in Russia.
We found a tooth and a rib of a young individual of the ancient rhinoceros of stephanorhinus, told a leading Methodist of the Zoological Museum of Kazan Federal University Dmitry Startsev. Is the two-horned rhinoceros, similar to modern African, about two meters high and 3.5 meters in length. In addition to the bones of the rhinoceros we find a horn of a large antelope. Perhaps this view, which we previously in the cave is not found. There are also the bones of oxen, saber-tooth tiger phalanx of Somateria.
Now scientists continue to Refine the species found bones. Most of them discovered in the cave lair of the predators, and now researchers are working on moves in the path of the ancient predators to him. Scientists removed layers of alumina, is washed in the sieve on which it remains only sand, gravel and bone. In addition to the major findings of the paleontology and paleoecology of great importance are found the bones of small vertebrates.
For the paleoenvironment is very important, what animals lived on the territory around the cave, what the environmental conditions were at the time, – says senior researcher of the laboratory of paleoecology of the Institute of ecology of plants and animals, Ural branch of the RAS, Dmitry Gimranov. And rodents as indicators will help us to accurately show the age of the deposits. Now we are talking about the age of 1.5 – 1.8 million years, and the study of bone remains will help to clarify these findings.
Birds, reptiles and other animal groups also indicate specific environmental conditions, which was on the Peninsula in the prehistoric period. For example, one type indicates a high humidity and the other on the present vegetation. So, found the bones of the protein suggests that once there was a forest.
– We are very lucky that the cave “Tavrida” includes the bones of all vertebrate groups, emphasizes Gimranov. In other caves such a wide range of vertebrates is not found.
After the completion of soil investigations in the area of the main course of the cave “Tavrida” will proceed to the arrangement of the entrance into the future scientific and recreational complex, after which the appearance of some parts of the underground space of the cave will change significantly.
Recall that the length of the open labyrinth “Tauris” is 1800 meters. And now scientists are 3D scanning moves to document their original geometry.
