Tip-Tugai Cave, the First Cave Hyena Crocuta spelaea (Goldfuss, 1823) Den Found in the Urals.

ABSTRACT

The Tip-Tugai Cave (52°59'28.6″ N, 57°00'22.3″ E) is described as a new site with cave hyena Crocuta spelaea fossils. The bone-bearing layer was dated to marine isotope stage (MIS) 3 based on the species composition of the fauna of large and small mammals. Finds of abundant remains of cave hyenas of different ages and bones of large herbivores with hyena gnaw marks indicated that the Tip-Tugai Cave was used as a hyena den in the Late Pleistocene. This is the first cave hyena den described in the Urals.