Imanay Cave (Pleistocene Layer 3)
Basic information
Sample name: Imanay Cave (Pleistocene Layer 3)

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

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. Accumulation of the bones was not related to human or other large terrestrial carnivore activity, thus it emerged as a result of natural mortality of the animals".

Methods
Life forms: carnivores,rodents,ungulates

Sampling methods: quarry,screenwash

Sample size: 2499 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: 4147

Contributor: Benjamin Carter

Enterer: Benjamin Carter

Created: 2023-02-28 15:07:02

Modified: 2023-02-28 04:10:41

Abundance distribution
10 species
5 singletons
total count 2499
geometric series index: 22.4
Fisher's α: 1.326
geometric series k: 0.4219
Hurlbert's PIE: 0.1036
Shannon's H: 0.2561
Good's u: 0.9980
Each square represents a species. Square sizes are proportional to counts.
Register
Marmota sp.1
Panthera sp.108
"ex gr. fossilis-spelaea"
Canis lupus1443 kg carnivore
Vulpes lagopus13.3 kg
Vulpes vulpes15.3 kg carnivore-insectivore
also 1 Vulpes sp.
Gulo gulo113 kg
also 1 Mustelidae indet.
Ursus sp.2363
extinct "small cave bear" species originally described as Ursus “savini”
Ursus arctos1156 kg frugivore-carnivore
Saiga tatarica428 kg
Ovis ammon576 kg browser-grazer