Adrian Marciszak, Paweł Mackiewicz, Ryszard K Borówka, Chiara Capalbo, Piotr Chibowski, Michał Gąsiorowski, Helena Hercman, Bernard Cedro, Aleksandra Kropczyk, Wiktoria Gornig, Piotr Moska, Dariusz Nowakowski, Urszula Ratajczak-Skrzatek, Artur Sobczyk, Maciej T Sykut, Katarzyna Zarzecka-Szubińska, Oleksandr Kovalchuk, Zoltán Barkaszi, Krzysztof Stefaniak, Paul P A Mazza
This comprehensive study examines fossil remains from Niedźwiedzia Cave in the Eastern Sudetes, offering detailed insights into the palaeobiology and adversities encountered by the Pleistocene cave bear Ursus spelaeus ingressus. Emphasising habitual cave use for hibernation and a primarily herbivorous diet, the findings attribute mortality to resource scarcity during hibernation and habitat fragmentation amid climate shifts. Taphonomic analysis indicates that the cave was extensively used by successive generations of bears, virtually unexposed to the impact of predators...
April 29, 2024: Scientific Reports