Palaeoecological and genetic analyses of Late Pleistocene bears in Asiatic Russia

Brown bears are one of the few large carnivore species that survived final Pleistocene wave extinctions, perhaps in part owing to their wide ecological plasticity, variety forms and polyphagia. Although brown bear has become a well-studied system, many questions remain regarding ecological, trophic genetic diversity throughout distribution. For example, knowledge about Asiatic Russian from Late arctic tundra steppe, an ecosystem with no analogue modern times, is sparse. Here we compared diets, morphometry affinities based on broadly sampled subfossil remains Russia. Collecting sites included Ural Mountains, lower reaches Irtysh River, upper Ob Altai Mountains western Siberia, Indigirka–Kolyma Lowlands northwestern Chukotka. An extremely specimen middle Indigirka (41 090 14C BP) lived landscapes treeless shrubs wet meadows had diet composed principally herbivorous mammals. A Chukotka (25 880 BP), much smaller size, close bears. These two NE may comprise previously undiscovered, but extinct, lineage. At end (MIS 3 MIS 2), River Valley Urals periglacial forest-steppes those southern conditions steppe. valley Urals, as well ancient bears, were characterized by varied diet, polyphagia vegetarianism. In living proportions different dietary foods primarily related food availability, which depends geographical zone climatic conditions. We conclude same was true for Siberia.