New data on the Pleistocene fauna of small mammals from the Strashnaya cave (Northwestern Altai)

Excavations in Strashnaya Cave (Altai, Russia) in 2017 continued the research of the Pleistocene deposits in the central part of the cave and revealed new materials on fossil small mammals. The analysis of the remains of small mammals was based on the osteological materials from layers 5 and 6. Voles dominated among the rodents in the paleontological fauna of the cave, including mountain vole Alticola, narrow-headed vole Stenocranius, and field vole Microtus. Collection of the remains of the porcupine Hystrix was enriched by new findings from the lower horizons of layer 5. Strashnaya Cave is one of the three caves in Altai, where the remains of the porcupine have been found. The remains of the dormouse Dryomys and hairy-footed jerboa Dipus were found in this field season in the Late Pleistocene deposits of the Altai for the first time. Accordingly, these findings indicate the periods of proliferation of deciduous forests and sand dunes in the Late Pleistocene near Strashnaya Cave.