TOMSK, Sep 22 – RIA Tomsk. The
scientists and students of Tomsk State University (TSU) excavated the natural
boundary Wolf Mane (near Novosibirsk), stumbled on areas with a high
concentration of mammoth bones; they found the remains of animals which bones
sizes exceeded the previous finds, the press service of the university reports
on Thursday.
It is specified that
paleontologists of TSU in 2016 conducted excavation on one of the largest
burials of mammoths in Eurasia – in the natural boundary the Wolf Mane. This
time researchers found the deep bone bed about which nobody suspected. At a
depth of 1,7-2,1 meters bones of cubs and adult mammoths which were larger,
than their "younger" relatives were found.
"Among the largest
fragments – is a hip nearly 1,15 meters long. Possibly, it belonged to a
mammoth male age of 45-50 years which weight made 5-6 tons <…>, and
height with taking into account soft fabrics exceeded three meters. Its
remains, perhaps, have lain in rock mass 20-25 or even 30 millennia", –
quoted in the message the head of laboratory of ecosystems of the Mesozoic and
the Cenozoic Sergey Leshchinsky.
www.youtube.comWolf Mane location
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It is noted that scientists
found bone bed deposits with such high number of the remains which isn't
mentioned in one mammoth location of the Russian Federation. Concentration on
one "square" at a thickness of deposits to a half a meter exceeded
100 bones – it's well remained vertebras, edges, bones of extremities. It is
supposed that bones of the lowermost level belong to the animals coming here
for several thousands of years before opening of this "cemetery" of
megafauna.
"The big difference in
sizes between mammoths from lower and higher levels is explained by the fact
that on a final piece of the period of the existence this species of animals
was under the powerful pressure of adverse factors of the habitat. Judging from
the fact that at many remains of late mammoths there are symptoms of osteodystrophy,
animals suffered from mineral starvation", – is said in the message.
It is added that on the Wolf
Mane scientists and students revealed not only the remains of at least eight
mammoths. From 785 found finds some teeth and bones belong to bison, horse, fox
or polar fox, and rodents.
Earlier it was reported that
in 2015 paleontologists of TSU found in the natural boundary the Wolf Mane in
the Novosibirsk region, the mammoths refugium (one of the last habitats). Here
animals had "mud bath" and vitamin "sanatorium" where they
could find food with the necessary minerals. Besides, it was succeeded to prove
that mammoths lived in a refugium together with the people.