Nonpyrogenic charring of Late Pleistocene large mammal remains in northeastern Russia

Mammal remains preserved in the permafrost zone often bear traces of postmortem transformations, reflecting aspects palaeoenvironment and processes that took place during accumulation host sediments. Multidisciplinary studies including radiocarbon dating, infrared spectroscopy, microfossil analyses grain size infilling sediments from allow recognition their stratigraphical palaeogeographical origins facilitate reconstructions taphonomic pathways pre-burial environments. Here, as exemplified by skulls woolly rhinoceros, cave lion, ancient bison, some distinct features changes such nonpyrogenic charring vivianite encrustation indicate have undergone a complex range burial aerobic anaerobic conditions Pleistocene landscapes Arctic northeastern Russia. We hypothesize these were mainly confined to warmer intervals Late Pleistocene.