THE UPPER PLEISTOCENE MAMMAL RECORD FROM CAVERNA DEGLI ORSI (SAN DORLIGO DELLA VALLE – DOLINA, TRIESTE, ITALY): Claudio BERTO and Giada RUBINATO claudio.berto@unife.it - giada.rubinato@student.unife.it Department of Biology and Evolution, University of Ferrara, Italy 2010 SEQS CONFERENCE INQUA-SEQS Section on European Quaternary Stratigraphy Università degli Studi di Ferrara Caverna degli Orsi (Bears Cave) is located near S. Dorligo della Valle – Dolina in the Trieste Karst (NE Italy), at 360 m a.s.l. on the western slope of Monte Carso in Rosandra valley. The original access is at present completely buried by a debrisfall deposit that covers a wide area of the mountain side. Since the cave entrance closed, sedimentation rate and weathering processes have been very low inside the cave; therefore a paleosurface, especially in the inner of the cave, has been preserved with minor changes. Two sondages (A and B) have been escavated by the Department of Archaeological Sciences of Pisa University between 1992 and 2006. Few stone artifacts, 26 in all, that can be ascribed to Mousterian industry, have been found in excavation areas suggesting a sporadic human presence during the Late Pleistocene. The materials have been provided by Prof. Giovanni Boschian from Pisa University. The examined finds have been compared to the osteological collection of the Departement of Biology and Evolution of Ferrara University. Large mammals have been quantified in number of remains (NR) and small mammals in number of individuals (NI). The assemblage in sondage B (Table 3, 1049 remains rapresented by 19 taxa), is dominated by Ursidae (83%) while other carnivores, such as Mustelidae, Canidae and Felidae, are less frequent. In lowest layers (122 and 123) there are important warm indicators such as cf. Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis and Dama sp. Sondage A is still under study, until now Ursidae are most common with more than 90% of remains; other taxa, that hasn’t been found in sondage B, are Panthera pardus and Crocuta crocuta spelaea. The small mammals (1550 remains represented by 31 taxa) are reported in Tables 1 and 2. Chionomys nivalis (snow vole) and Microtus arvalis (common vole) are dominant in both sequences. Northern and Eastern European species are rare: Sicista betulina, Microtus oeconomus, Cricetulus migratorius and Mesocricetus cf. newtoni. In particular the last species, now widespread between northern Bulgaria and Southern Romania, has never been quoted in Italy. The small and large mammals assemblages from Caverna degli Orsi suggest some hypothesis about the evolution of the sequences, the biochronology and the paleoenvironment: Materials and methods Results The scarce material above Unit 118, together with stratigraphic considerations, suggests that the cave entrance closed during the sedimentation of USS 118 and 117. The presence of Dama sp. in lowest levels, the change in the small mammals frequency and stratigraphic considerations, allow a calibration of the two sequences from 5 to 2 Marine Isotopic Stages (Late Pleistocene). The high biodiversity in the small mammals assemblage confirms the presence in this geographical area of an ecotone, with Balcanic and Western Mediterranean biocoenoses in the Late Pleistocene. In fact, the occurrence of Dinaromys bogdanovi (Balkan snow vole), together with Chionomys nivalis and northern and eastern European species, such as Microtus oeconomus, Sicista betulina, Cricetulus migratorius and Mesocricetus cf. newtoni mixed together with western ones, suggests that in this area animals of Pannonian and Western Mediterranean basins met. Sequence B - Small mammals % 110-111 112 113 116 117 118 120 121 122 123 124 125 Arvicola amphibius 2,99 11,11 6,02 - 33,33 3,13 25,00 - - - 100,00 6,45 Clethrionomys glareolus 5,09 14,81 2,41 25,00 33,33 26,56 12,50 14,29 6,48 4,55 - 3,23 Chionomys nivalis 32,93 37,04 26,51 50,00 - 20,31 25,00 28,57 34,26 2,27 - 6,45 Dinaromys bogdanovi 0,30 3,70 - - 33,33 4,69 - 14,29 6,48 18,18 - 6,45 Microtus agrestis 0,60 - - - - 6,25 12,50 - 2,78 - - 6,45 Microtus cf agrestis 0,60 - - - - - - - 0,93 - - - Microtus arvalis 2,99 11,11 2,41 - - 23,44 25,00 14,29 40,74 59,09 - 54,84 Microtus cf arvalis 0,30 - - - - 1,56 - - - 2,27 - 3,23 Microtus oeconomus - - - - - 1,56 - 14,29 0,93 2,27 - - Microtus (Terricola) sp. 2,99 - 1,20 - - 3,13 - - - - - 9,68 Cricetulus migratorius - - - - - - - 14,29 - - - - Mesocricetus cf. newtoni 0,30 3,70 - - - - - - 0,93 - - - Apodemus sp. 8,38 3,70 10,84 - - - - - - 2,27 - - Apodemus cf agrarius 0,90 - 2,41 - - - - - - - - - Apodemus flavicollis 3,29 - 10,84 - - - - - 1,85 2,27 - - Apodemus cf. flavicollis 6,59 3,70 9,64 25,00 - 1,56 - - - - - - Apodemus sylvaticus 1,20 - 2,41 - - - - - - - - - Apodemus cf. sylvaticus 8,08 3,70 6,02 - - - - - - - - - Rattus sp. 2,40 - - - - - - - - - - - Rattus rattus 2,10 - - - - - - - - - - - cf. Driomys - - - - - 1,56 - - - - - - Glis glis 11,38 3,70 12,05 - - - - - 1,85 2,27 - - Lagomorpha - - - - - 1,56 - - - - - - Lepus sp. 0,90 - 1,20 - - - - - 1,85 - - - Lepus timidus - - - - - - - - 0,93 2,27 - - Crocidura sp. 0,30 - 1,20 - - - - - - 2,27 - - Crocidura leucodon 1,80 - 2,41 - - - - - - - - - Crocidura soaveolens 3,29 - 1,20 - - - - - - - - - Sorex alpinus - - - - - 1,56 - - - - - - Rhinolophus sp. 0,30 - - - - - - - - - - Nyctalus sp. - 1,20 - - - - - - - - - Myotis sp. - - - - 3,13 - - - - - - Myotis myotis - - - - - - - - - - 3,23 TOTAL NI 333 27 83 4 3 64 8 7 108 44 1 31 Sequence A - Small mammals % 10 10.1 10.2 11.1 11.2 12 13 14 14.1 Sicista betulina - 2,63 - - - - - - - Arvicola amphibius 2,63 - 5,88 - 1,92 4,17 7,14 - 14,29 Clethrionomys glareolus 10,53 21,05 17,65 11,11 25,00 20,83 14,29 - 14,29 Chionomys nivalis 39,47 21,05 35,29 8,33 9,62 4,17 21,43 - 14,29 Dinaromys bogdanovi - 5,26 11,76 8,33 15,38 33,33 50,00 33,33 - Microtus agrestis 2,63 2,63 - 11,11 9,62 12,50 - - - Microtus cf. agrestis - - - - - - - - 7,14 Microtus arvalis - 10,53 5,88 55,56 28,85 20,83 - - 14,29 Microtus oeconomus - 2,63 - - - - - - - Microtus (Terricola) sp. 5,26 2,63 5,88 - 1,92 - - - 7,14 Cricetulus migratorius - - - - - - - - 7,14 Apodemus sp. 7,89 7,89 - 2,78 - - - - - Apodemus flavicollis 18,42 10,53 - - 3,85 - - - - Apodemus cf. flavicollis 5,26 - 5,88 - - - - 33,33 - Apodemus sylvaticus - 2,63 5,88 - - - - - - Apodemus cf. sylvaticus 2,63 - 5,88 - - - - - - Rattus sp. - 2,63 - - - - - - - Eliomys quercinus - - - - - - - 33,33 - Glis glis 2,63 7,89 - - - - - - 7,14 Lepus sp. - - - - - 4,17 - - 14,29 Sorex gr. araneus - - - 2,78 1,92 - - - - Talpa caeca - - - - - - 7,14 - - Talpa europaea 2,63 - - - - - - - - Nyctalus noctula - - - - 1,92 - - - - TOTAL NI 38 38 17 36 52 24 14 3 14 Sequence B - Large mammals % 110-111 113 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122/123 122 123 124 125 126 Marmota marmota - - - - - - 1,35 - - - - - - - - Lepus sp. - - - - - - 2,70 2,38 - - 7,69 1,69 3,57 - - Lepus timidus - - - - - - - - 8,33 - - - - 0,72 - Martes sp. 54,55 50,00 2,38 3,57 0,36 - Martes cf. foina 50,00 - - - - - - - - - - - - - Martes martes 9,09 - - - - 1,19 - 1,19 - - - - - - - Mustela cf . erminea - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0,36 - Ursus sp. - - - 50,00 40,00 63,10 67,57 51,19 66,67 27,69 14,61 32,14 12,95 28,00 Ursus arctos - - - - - 1,19 4,62 1,12 - 0,72 2,00 cf . Ursus arctos - - - - - - - - - - - 1,12 - 0,72 - Ursus spelaeus - - 100,00 50,00 60,00 30,95 25,68 23,81 20,83 6,15 50,56 60,71 81,29 62,00 Canis lupus - - - - - 1,19 - - - - 7,69 5,06 - - - cf. Canis lupus - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0,36 - Vulpes vulpes - - - - - - - - - - 4,62 - - - Panthera leo spelaea - - - - - - - - - - 1,54 - - 0,72 - Felis silvestris - - - - - - - 5,95 4,17 - - 4,49 - 0,36 - cf. Linx - - - - - - - 1,19 - - - - - - cf. Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis - - - - - - - - - - 1,54 - - - - Sus scrofa - - - - - - - - - - - 0,56 - - - Dama sp. - - - - - - - - - 50,00 4,62 0,56 - - - cf. Dama - - - - - - - - - - 1,54 1,12 - - - Cervus elaphus 9,09 1,54 - - - Capreolus capreolus 27,27 - - - - 2,38 1,35 3,57 50,00 1,54 0,56 - - - Cervus sp. - - - - - - - - - - 3,08 1,69 - - - Capreolus sp. - - - - - - - - - - - 1,12 - - - Cervidae - - - - - - - 2,38 4,62 1,12 - - - Bos/Bison - - - - - - - - - - 1,54 - - - - Capra ibex - - - - - - 1,35 5,95 20,00 13,48 - 1,08 8,00 cf. Capra ibex - - - - - - - - - - - 1,12 - 0,36 - TOTAL NR 11 2 9 2 10 84 74 84 24 2 65 178 28 278 50 Conclusive considerations A FAUNAL COMPLEX BETWEEN EASTERN AND WESTERN EUROPE Acknowledgements We would like to thank Prof. Giovanni Boschian for providing the material, Andrea Pereswiet-Soltan for the determination of Chiroptera, and Prof. Benedetto Sala for the advices and interesting discussions. References Bon M., Piccoli G., Sala B., Memorie di Scienze Geologiche, 43 , 185 (1991). Boschian G., Atti Soc. Tosc. Sci. Nat., Mem., Serie A 99 , 153 (1992). Boschian G., Atti Soc. Preis. Protost. Friuli-V.G., XII , 55 (2001). Boschian G. et alii, XIII U.I.S.P.P. Congress Proceedings, 209 (1996). Kovalski K., Folia Quaternaria, 72 , 1 (2001). Plan and profiles of Caverna degli Orsi with the two excavation areas: sondage B is situated near the old entrance and sondage A is the inner one. Drawn by Prof. G. Boschian. Tables 1 and 2 - Small mammals frequences from sondages A and B. Table 3 - Large mammals frequences from sondage B. Sondages B and A stratigraphies with correlation and MIS assigned basing on faunas and stratigraphical considerations. Mesocricetus cf. newtoni - M 1+2 - US 110. Sala B. and Marchetti G., Cour. Forsch.-Inst. Senckenberg, 256 , 321 (2006). Sala B., Masini F., Quaternary International 160 , 4 (2007).