Megafaunal remains from the eastern chamber of Denisova cave and problems of reconstructing the Pleistocene environments in the Northwestern Altai

In the past 12 years, the Pleistocene deposits from the Eastern Chamber of Denisova Cave yielded over 162,000 bone remains. Identifiable bones were attributed to 48 species of large mammals. During the deposition of layers 9-13, species associated with the steppe biotopes dominated in the vicinity of the cave, while the share of forest species was small. Layers 14 and 15 revealed the evidence of interglacial fauna, including abundant remains of roe deer, red deer, and Megaloceros. At that time, the share of species in the forest and forest-steppe biotopes increased significantly with the corresponding decrease of species in the steppe and rocky biotopes. The analysis of megafauna suggests that even during the interglacial periods, this area was partially forested and the landscapes remained mosaic. Watersheds and mountain slopes facing south were occupied by large areas with meadow-steppe vegetation which harbored field species.