Ursus spelaeus (Rosenmüller, 1794) during the MIS 3: new evidence from the Cioclovina Uscată Cave and radiocarbon age overview for the Carpathians.

Abstract

Ursus spelaeus, the Late Pleistocene a cave bear is known from numerous accumulations found in the fossil sector of caves situated in the Carpathian and Apuseni Mountains. In this study, we present new radiocarbon data along a profile of the Cioclovina Uscată Cave, which is situated in the South Carpathians. The data suggest that, during the entire Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3) interval, the cave was serving as a shelter for U. spelaeus, with the oldest dated bone indicating an age of > 47,710 and the youngest one, an age of 31,820 ± 400 years cal BP. Histogram plots of 110 radiocarbon data from different caves of the Carpathian and Apuseni Mountains as Cioclovina Uscată, Peștera (Cave) cu Oase, Peștera Muierii, or Peștera Urșilor, respectively, show a maximum expansion of the cave bear population between 50,000 and 40,000, a decline between 40,000 and 35,000 and a partial recovery from 35,000-30,000 years cal BP. Radiocarbon data of Homo sapiens remains, younger than 35,000 years cal BP, support the fact that H. sapiens accessed the same caves where the cave bear persisted to hibernate. Besides general cool conditions and restricted food sources, the presence of H. sapiens constituted an additional stress factor driving the cave bear to extinction.