LATE PLEISTOCENE BISON (Bison p. priscus Bojanis, 1827) FROM THE SOUTHEASTERN PART OF WESTERN SIBERIA

In the Late Pleistocene faunal complexes of the southeastern part of Western Siberia, the primeval bison (Bison priscus priscus) was among the best represented megafauna species. Beginning in the late Kazantsevo period (ca 100 – 90 ka BP), the body size diminished considerably and reached its minimum during the fi nal Karga Interglacial (ca 30 ka BP). The Sartan cool period caused an increase in the size of Bison p. priscus. However, in contrast to bison in Europe and Eastern Siberia, the body and cranium size of bison in the southern part of Western Siberia did not change signifi cantly during the Late Pleistocene. This conservative feature can be explained by the relative stability of environmental and climatic conditions as well as by the existence of a steppe and forest steppe ecozone with rich forage resources and thin snow cover, creating favorable conditions for the subsistence of this species.