Equids from Emine-Bair-Khosar Cave (Crimea, Ukraine): Co-occurrence of the stenonid Equus hydruntinus and the caballoid E. ferus latipes based on skull and postcranial remains

Abstract

The Late Pleistocene faunal assemblages excavated from the cave Emine-Bair- Khosar in the Chatyrdag Massif in the Crimean Mountains, Ukraine, contain about 250 equid remains. Detailed morphological analyses reveal the occurrence of the small, stenonid species Equus hydruntinus alongside a large, caballoid species identified as Equus ferus latipes. The presence in the assemblage of two extremely well-preserved skulls of Equus hydruntinus is highly significant and contributes much to our knowledge of this enigmatic Pleistocene species. These skulls, as well as a skull of Equus ferus latipes, are here described and compared to skulls of closely related species. The E. hydruntinus skulls stand out amongst related equids by their short muzzles, an adaptation to cold climatic conditions. Complete postcranial bones are also frequent in the sample for both species, with relatively robust longbones for Equus hydruntinus similar to those of other Late Pleistocene E. hydruntinus samples. The presence of a long-limbed form of Equus ferus latipes indicates that the environmental conditions under which the assemblage accumulated were relatively cool but favourable for equids. The relative abundances of the two species in the assemblage are in accordance with land use patterns documented for extant relatives. © Palaeontological Association February 2012.