Imanay Cave (Pleistocene Layer 1)
Basic information
Sample name: Imanay Cave (Pleistocene Layer 1)

Reference: D. Gimranov and P. Kosintsev. 2020. Quaternary large mammals from the Imanay Cave. Quaternary International 546:125-134 [ER 3799]
Geography
Country: Russia


Coordinate: 53° 2' N, 56° 26' E
Coordinate basis: stated in text

Time interval: Late Pleistocene

Geography comments: "The Imanay Cave is located in a mountainous region in the Southern Urals".
Although there are several radiocarbon dates on cave bear and cave lion remains (all from Layer 1; 46 to 26 ka), the entire faunal complex likely accumulated over the entire Late Pleistocene.

Environment
Lithology: sandstone

Taphonomic context: cave

Archaeology: stone tools

Habitat comments: "The Imanay Cave was formed in grey dolomite limestone of the Kungurian stage of the Lower Permian. In total, four lithological layers were detected during the excavation. Palaeolithic stone tools were found in Layer 1, although there is no convincing evidence that the accumulation of remains was related to human activity. Instead, the bones likley emerged as a result of natural mortality of the animals".

Methods
Life forms: carnivores,rodents,ungulates,other small mammals

Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash

Sample size: 1342 specimens

Sampling comments: "A 6 m2 excavation unit was placed in the inner part of the cave. More than 10,000 animal bone specimens were excavated from the 12 m3 deposits. The deposits were excavated in 10 cm horizons. All sediments were rinsed in water and sieved using 0.5 and 1.0 mm mesh".

Metadata
Sample number: 4145

Contributor: Benjamin Carter

Enterer: Benjamin Carter

Created: 2023-02-28 14:57:02

Modified: 2023-02-28 04:07:43

Abundance distribution
14 species
4 singletons
total count 1342
geometric series index: 26.8
Fisher's α: 2.179
geometric series k: 0.5809
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.2355
Shannon's H: 0.5279
Good's u: 0.9970
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
Register
Lepus sp.3
Marmota sp.12
Panthera sp.135
"ex gr. fossilis-spelaea"
Canis lupus743 kg carnivore
Vulpes sp.2
Gulo gulo813 kg
Mustela sp.1
"ex gr. putorius-eversmanii"
Ursus sp.1165
extinct "small cave bear" species originally described as Ursus “savini”
Ursus arctos2156 kg frugivore-carnivore
Mammuthus primigenius1
Equus ferus1422 kg
Coelodonta antiquitatis2
Saiga tatarica228 kg
Ovis ammon176 kg browser-grazer