New findings of pleistocene megafauna remains at alluvial locations of the Upper Ob region (Bibikha, Chumysh, Chik) in 2022

In 2022, 620 bone remains from 9 species of Late Pleistocene large mammals were collected on the Chumysh River in the Altai Territory. Most interesting finds include the lower jaw and tibia of a cave lion. Based on their size, both bones belonged to medium-sized females. In total, since 2011, 18 thousand bones from 27 species have been found on the Chumysh River. On the Chik River (Novosibirsk Region), at the base of the river cliff, an in situ scattered accumulation of bones assigned to two mammoths were found. The growth at the withers of the skeletons of these adult males, calculated from the size of their tubular bones, is 259 and 284 cm. The number of megafauna remains collected at the Bibikha location (Novosibirsk Region, the Ob River) in 2022 is 580 bones from 17 species. For the first time, intact metacarpal bones of the Early Pleistocene Praeovibos sp. and the Middle Pleistocene muskox Ovibos pallantis were discovered. In both cases, metacarpal bones belonged to males. A unique find of2022 is the human femoral diaphysis of Homo sp., which does not differ in its state ofpreservation from most bones of the Middle Pleistocene large mammals collected on the beach. The total number offinds since 2015 has exceeded 7.5 thousand. The features of the formation of a secondary location of redeposited bone remains on the Bibikha coast are considered in details. A probable source of admission of bones is the thickness of the Middle Pleistocene channel sand eroded downstream in the Ob riverbed. Obviously, the distance of bone transportation does not exceed several hundred meters.