Geographical and stratigraphic distribution of fossil saiga antelope (Saiga sp. and Saiga tatarica borealis, Bovidae) finds in the Pleistocene of Yakutia (East Siberia, Russia)

Geographical and stratigraphic distribution of fossil saiga antelope (Saiga sp. and Saiga tatarica borealis, Bovidae) finds in the Pleistocene of Yakutia (East Siberia, Russia) Научная публикация

Журнал

Russian Journal of Theriology
ISSN: 1682-3559

Вых. Данные

Год: 2025, Том: 24, Номер: 2, Страницы: 154–163 Страниц : 10 DOI: 10.15298/rusjtheriol.24.2.08

Ключевые слова

Saiga sp., Saiga tatarica borealis, Pleistocene, distribution, Yakutia, Eastern Siberia, Russia

Авторы

Boeskorov Gennady G. ¹ , Stepanov Alexander D. ² , Protopopov Albert V. ³ , Shchelchkova Marina V. ⁴

Организации

1	Diamond and Precious Metals Geology Institute
2	Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography
3	Mammoth Fauna Study Department, Yakutia Academy of Sciences
4	M.K. Ammosov’s North-Eastern Federal University, Natural Sciences Institute

Информация о финансировании (1)

FWZG-2025-0010

The article presents an analysis of the spatial and temporal distribution of the currently known finds of fossil saiga antelope (Saiga sp. and Saiga tatarica borealis) in Yakutia (Eastern Siberia, Russia). Saiga remains in the north of Eastern Siberia were fi rst identifi ed by I. Chersky (1876, 1891). Since then, the presence of this species in the Pleistocene of Yakutia has been established over a signifi cant part of its territory. It is assumed that some fi nds of saiga remains date back to the Early Pleistocene. Nevertheless, the earliest reliable saiga remains in Northeast Asia are dated to the Middle Pleistocene (the Achchygyi Allaikha and Keremesit rivers). An analysis of the fi nds of saiga remains indicates that this species had a very wide range in the territory of Yakutia during the Late Pleistocene. Saiga inhabited the valleys of Lena, Vilyui, Olenek, Yana, Adycha, Indigirka, and Kolyma rivers (as well as in the interfluves of the latter two rivers). It also lived on Primorsky lowlands and on Bolshoi Lyakhovsky Island. Radiocarbon-dated or related fi nds indicate a fairly wide distribution of the saiga both during the Karginian interstadial and Sartanian glaciation. By the end of the Pleistocene, with climate changing, expressed in warming and humidization,the depth of snow cover during winter increased in the north of Eastern Siberia, which became an insurmountable factor for saigas. The climate change led to the degradation of the cold steppe zone and its replacement by the tundra and taiga zones. This could led to the regional extinction of saiga antelope in Northeast Asia and Beringia.

Boeskorov G.G. , Stepanov A.D. , Protopopov A.V. , Shchelchkova M.V.
Geographical and stratigraphic distribution of fossil saiga antelope (Saiga sp. and Saiga tatarica borealis, Bovidae) finds in the Pleistocene of Yakutia (East Siberia, Russia)
Russian Journal of Theriology. 2025. V.24. N2. P.154–163. DOI: 10.15298/rusjtheriol.24.2.08 WOS Scopus

Web of science:	WOS:001648125400008
Scopus:	2-s2.0-105028029683

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