Cave bears (Carnivora, Ursidae) from the Middle and late Pleistocene of Serbia: A revision

Abstract

Cave bear remains are known from 36 caves and other karst features, and from one open-air site in Serbia. The sites vary greatly by their morphology and size, position, altitude, stratigraphy and diversity of the fossil fauna. The cave bear stands out as a dominant species at the majority of the sites; at a number of sites it is the single species found. There are only few sites where herbivores' or predators' remains exceed those of the cave bears. The majority of cave bear remains originate from the Late Pleistocene deposits. Previously, they have been identified as Ursus spelaeus. We present a morphology and metric study of cave bears from three sites: two recently discovered localities of Middle Pleistocene age, and the Risovaca cave, which may be regarded as the reference site for the Late Pleistocene mammals in the region based on a large number of collected remains and published data. The remains of the Middle Pleistocene spelaeoid bears are described from Mala Balanica cave (Eastern Serbia) and an open-air site at Ruma brickyard (Northern Serbia) for the first time. Considering the size and morphology of cheek teeth and metapodial bones, these cave bears are identified as Ursus spelaeus deningeroides. The cheek teeth morphology and size, as well as metapodial bones' metric, relate the cave bear from the Risovaca cave to the advanced evolutive type of the cave bear established in Central and Eastern Europe Ursus spelaeus ingressus.