Also known as Loutra Arideas Cave, Bear Cave, Arkoudospilia
Where: Greece (41.0° N, 21.9° E: paleocoordinates 41.0° N, 21.9° E)
• coordinate stated in text
When: Late/Upper Pleistocene (0.1 - 0.0 Ma)
Environment/lithology: cave; lithology not reported
Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils, microfossils
• The only pyrite artifact, found in 1993, in association with ursid remains of the third layer of B10 square, added another aspect to the excavations.
Preservation: bone collector
Collected in 1992-2006
Collection methods: surface (in situ), sieve, ,
• All the paleontological material is stored in the Physiographical Museum of Loutra and the Natural History Museum of Aridea.
Primary reference: E. Tsoukala, K. Chatzopoulou, G. Rabeder, D. Nagel, and G. Withalm. 2006. Paleontological and stratigraphical research in Loutrá Aridéas bear cave (Almopia Speleopark, Pella, Macedonia, Greece). Scientific Annals, School of Geology Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) 98:41-67 [E. Vlachos/E. Vlachos]more details
Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis
PaleoDB collection 203847: authorized by Evangelos Vlachos, entered by Evangelos Vlachos on 26.08.2019
Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)
Taxonomic list
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Meles meles Linnaeus 1758 European badger Among the mustelid remains found in the cave (chambers LAC I, II, III and Ib), the badger is represented only by a left maxilla fragment with P2-P4 present, slightly worn and few post cranial bone fragments (chamber LAC III)
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Canis lupus Linnaeus 1758 gray wolf in the Bear cave the Pleistocene wolf is very poorly represented by a right upper slightly worn carnassial (P4), the protocone of which is missing (pl. 2.1, tab. 4). It was found in the small LAC Ib chamber
Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus 1758 red fox The Pleistocene fox is poorly represented by few teeth: an upper left slightly worn canine (chamber LAC Ic) and two molars (M2 chamber LAC I and M2 chamber LAC II). Also, few post cranial bones are preserved: proximal fragments of humeri, metapodials and first phalanges (chambers LAC I, Ic and III)
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Panthera pardus Linnaeus 1758 leopard The cave leopard is well represented by ten specimens (chambers LAC I, II and Ic).
Panthera leo Linnaeus 1758 lion spelaea. The cave lion is poorly represented only by an upper canine found in the central chamber (LAC I).
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Crocuta crocuta Erxleben 1777 spotted hyaena spelaea. The cave spotted hyaena is the most abudant non-ursid material represented by 66 specimens. These comprise of canines, incisors, cheek teeth and many post cranial bones, such as vertebras, scapula, humerus, femur, radius, ulna, tibia carpals, tarsals, metapodials and phalanges, some of them with unfussed epiphyses.
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Dama dama Linnaeus 1758 fallow deer The Almopia Pleistocene dama is represented only by a scapula fragment
Cervus elaphus Linnaeus 1758 red deer The Almopia Pleistocene red deer is represented only by three phalanges: 2 Ph2 and Ph3 of the same individual (chambers LAC I and Ic). They are robust and well preserved
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Capra ibex Linnaeus 1758 Alpine ibex The ibex is represented only (chambers LAC I, Ib and Ic) by two lower incisors, and an upper premolar), one carpal (os hamatum), a metacarpal Mc 3+4 of a male juvenile with infused epiphyses (both of the same individual), a metatarsal Mt 3+4 of a female juvenile, also with infused epiphyses, 2ph I, ph II
Bos primigenius Bojanus 1827 ox The aurochs is poorly represented by a first phalange: ph I (chamber LAC Ib). A hole through the distal part of the bone shows a mark of carnivore canine
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Ochotona pusilla pika | |
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Lepus europaeus Pallas 1778 European hare | |
Apodemus uralensis, Apodemus mystacinus, Mus spicilegus, "Apodemus sylvaticus" = Mus sylvaticus, Spalax leucodon
Apodemus uralensis Eurasian field mouse
Apodemus mystacinus Danford and Alston 1877 Eastern broad-toothed field mouse
Mus spicilegus house mouse
"Apodemus sylvaticus" = Mus sylvaticus Linnaeus 1758 wood mouse
Spalax leucodon blind mole | |
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Sicista subtilis Pallas 1773 southern birch mouse | |
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Spermophilus citellus ground squirrel | |
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Dryomys nitedula Pallas 1778 dormouse
Glis glis Linnaeus 1766 edible doormouse
Muscardinus avellanarius Linnaeus 1758 hazel dormouse | |
Cricetulus migratorius, Mesocricetus newtoni, Myodes glareolus, Microtus (Pitymys) cf. subterraneus, Microtus (Microtus) arvalis, Chionomys nivalis, Arvicola terrestris
Cricetulus migratorius Pallas 1773 rodent
Mesocricetus newtoni rodent
Myodes glareolus Schreber 1780 vole
Microtus (Microtus) arvalis Pallas 1779 common vole
Chionomys nivalis Martins 1842 vole
Arvicola terrestris Linnaeus 1758 European water vole | |