БАТЫС ҚАЗАҚСТАН АУМАҒЫНАН ТАБЫЛҒАН КЕШ ПЛЕЙСТОЦЕНДІК COELODONTA ANTIQUITATIS (BLUMENBACH, 1799) МОРФОЛОГИЯСЫ МЕН ЭКОЛОГИЯСЫ.

Abstract

The woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis) was widespread in the Late Pleistocene of Eurasia, including the territory of modern Kazakhstan. Finds from the West Kazakhstan region and adjacent regions are represented by skulls, teeth, and postcranial elements, but many museum collections remain undescribed. Their study is important for the reconstruction of Pleistocene ecosystems and the assessment of climate changes affecting the dynamics of fauna. The purpose of this work is to determine the taxonomic affiliation, sexual dimorphism, age characteristics and environmental conditions of C. antiquitatis on the basis of osteological material from the Museum of Nature and Ecology (Uralsk). The methodology includes morphometric analysis, comparative craniological examination and assessment of possible diversity within the species. The results confirm that the studied specimens belong to C. antiquitatis of the Late Pleistocene and indicate a sexually mature male that lived in a temperate steppe climate. This is consistent with data on relatively mild winters and less dense snow cover in the lower reaches of the Urals in the Pleistocene.