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In this study, growth parameters of underground parts and concentrations of phenylpropanoids, phenylethanoids, flavonoids, hydroxybenzoic acids, and catechins in aqueous–ethanol extracts of 6-year-old cultivated plants of Rhodiola rosea (propagated in vitro) of Altai Mountain origin were analyzed, and differences in chemical composition among plant specimens and between plant parts (rhizome and root) were evaluated. High-performance liquid chromatography detected 13 phenolic compounds. Roots contained 1.28 times higher phenylethanoids levels (1273.72 mg/100 g) than rhizomes did. Overall, the concentration of phenylethanoids in underground organs was not high and ranged from 21.36 to 103.00 mg/100 g. High variation among R. rosea individual plants was noted both in growth characteristics and in levels of secondary metabolites under our cultivation conditions. It was found that concentrations of phenylpropanoids, phenylethanoids, and catechins significantly depend on the plant part analyzed (p ≤ 0.05). Specimen No. 4 is characterized by the highest concentration of rosavins (1230.99 mg/plant) and the lowest concentration of cinnamyl alcohol (62.87 mg/plant). Despite the wide range of values, all 10 tested specimens (underground part) met the minimum requirements of the United States Pharmacopeia (2015) for rosavins (0.3%) and of the Russia State Pharmacopoeia (2015) for the average level of rosavins (roots): (1%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the burials of horse herders who lived in the 4th–3rd centuries BCE Altai Mountains of South Siberia were some that contained small wooden figures of four-legged hoofed animals that represent horses, deer, or hybrid creatures. They decorated headgear buried with select commoners of the Pazyryk Culture. Although the people, material possessions, and horses of the elites were frequently ornamented with imagery often associated with the so-called Scytho-Siberian animal style, these figurines are generally more realistic and less stylized representations of natural creatures, either cervids or horses. There is, however, ambiguity in these representations; in some cases, figures that are horses have inset recesses on the tops of their heads, in addition to holes for ear inserts. This recalls the elaborate headdresses on some horses outfitted with large displays of antlers or horns made of wood, leather, and felt buried with the Pazyryk leaders. The implication of this ambiguity is explored here. Horses were "cultural capital and tokens of clout" (see Andreeva Introduction, this volume) in the Pazyryk Culture, as well as the base of the economy. Deer were foundational to older belief systems in Siberia. The commingling of horse, mountain goat/ibex, and deer features in Pazyryk Culture imagery has inspired this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationships between the yellowhammer (Еmberiza citrinella) and the pine bunting (Еmberiza leucocephalos) represent quite a rare case of mass hybridization in a broad sympatry zone. The hybrid population was monitored from 2008 to 2019 in a model area in the Altai Mountains, Russia, with the purpose to identify the potential pre- and postcopulatory isolation mechanisms in these species. The area selected as the model one is the only place in the vast secondary contact zone of the two species distinguished by the maximum hybridization level and a high proportion of birds with phenotypes of both parental species in approximately equal proportions. During the observation period, the proportion of phenotypic hybrids increased from 32 to 58%. Nevertheless, the population retains some precopulatory isolation mechanisms that are manifested in the positive mating assortativity and partial biotopic segregation between the species. On par with individuals featuring parental phenotypes, hybrids participate in breeding and successfully bring out nestlings: the phenotypic composition of feeding birds does not differ from the phenotypic composition of the population as a whole. However, the life span of hybrids is shorter; this applies even to birds featuring parental species phenotypes with slightly expressed characters indicating their hybrid origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews significant issues related to the fossil hominins from the Altai Mountains of Siberia (Russia), namely Denisovans, Neanderthals, and early modern humans. Uncritical acceptance of the recovered information by some authors has resulted in unreliable chronologies of the Middle and Upper Paleolithic artifact assemblages and the animal and hominin fossils. We examine the chronostratigraphic contexts and archaeological associations of hominin and animal fossils and the lithics discovered at the Denisova, Okladnikov, Strashnaya, and Chagyrskaya cave sites. Taphonomic, site formation, and geomorphological studies show evidence of disturbance and redeposition caused by carnivore activity and sediment subsidence at these sites, which complicates the dating of the human remains. Our analysis indicates that the Middle Paleolithic is dated to ca. 50,000–130,000 years ago, and the Upper Paleolithic to ca. 12,000–48,000 years ago. The best age estimate for Denisovans is ca. 73,000–130,000 years ago. The ages of Neanderthals can be determined as more than 50,000–59,000 years ago, and of modern humans at roughly 12,000–48,000 years ago. Denisovan and Neanderthal fossils are associated with Middle Paleolithic complexes only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a morphological study for distinguishing the remains of two small equid species that inhabited the south of Western Siberia in the Late Pleistocene: the Ovodov horse (Equus ovodovi Eisenmann et Vasiliev) and the Asiatic wild ass (E. hemionus Pallas). A detailed analysis of metric and nonmetric characters of equid limb bones shows that only metric features can be used for species discrimination. The Asiatic wild ass had smaller and more gracile limb bones than the Ovodov horse. The examination of new fossil remains from Western Siberia suggests that the distribution ranges of the Asiatic wild ass and the Ovodov horse did not overlap in the past. The Ovodov horse inhabited the southeastern part of the study area, from the Ob Plateau to the Altai Mountains and Kuznetsk Alatau. The remains of the Asiatic wild ass were found only in the southwest and southeast of Western Siberia, thus indicating a restricted distribution of this species in the area during the Late Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The controversial problems of stratigraphy, geomorphology, and chronology of the Early Paleolithic Karama site in the Altai Mountains are considered. This work is a response to the article by Ya.V. Kuzmin and A.Yu. Kazansky "Comments on the 'Debatable Aspects of Initial Human Colonization of Siberia and Age of the Karama Site in the Altai Mountains'" by V.S. Zykin, V.S. Zykina, and L.G. Smolyaninova, published in the journal Stratigraphy and Geological Correlation (2020, vol. 28, no. 5, pp. 157–160). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional development based on sustainable tourism is one of the options of developing remote regions, which are usually disadvantaged due to their distance, but can have a certain competitive advantage based on their remoteness. The present paper offers in-depth analysis of the tourism potential in selected remote regions of Russia, the Altai Mountains and Lake Baikal with the aim to explore the specific features of their sustainable tourism development and to propose an integrated operational framework for sustainable tourism and regional development usable for similar regions across the world. The proposed integrated operational framework helps to achieve a tricky balance between economic resurrection of remote areas and environment conservation, which is possible only with the proper co-integration of tourists with the community, and local economic development with the environment. It presents a set of drivers and their mutual relations to achieve the successful sustainable tourism development in remote regions in Russia and across the world. The present research results contribute to a knowledge bank that could serve as a useful guide for academics and policymakers involved with sustainable development, geography or environmentally sensitive tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Parasitic infections are widespread in sheep farms of the Russian Federation, including Siberia. The infection of sheep with helminths and parasitic arthropods with a range of 70% to 100% in different regions, contributes to a decrease in the productivity and quality of products, and even death of animals. This study aimed to formulate drugs with pronounced parasiticidal effects based on ivermectin and albendazole, widely used to treat animal entomoses and helminth infections. Methods: New formulations in the form of solid dispersed compositions were prepared by mechanochemical modification of ivermectin and albendazole using arabinogalactan polysaccharide. The efficacy of preparations on gastrointestinal strongylosis and monieziosis, and melophagosis of sheep was determined by parasitological examination and analysis of feces and urine. Results: The new formulations demonstrated increased solubility and parasiticidal activity due to the formation of inclusion complexes when interact with water. The maximum efficacy values (> 95% efficiency) against intestinal Strongylida and Moniezia expansa, and ectoparasitic Melophagus ovinus were seen in doses lower than the recommended doses of the starting drugs. Conclusion: The increased parasiticidal activity of innovative compositions can be explained by increased water solubility and bioavailability of the preparations, due to formation of inclusion complexes. The results of this study suggests the possibility of a significant reduction in the dosages of composed substances without losing their parasiticidal activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we apply geometric-morphometric shape analysis to Middle Paleolithic bone retouchers from Chagyrskaya Cave in the Altai Mountains of southern Siberia. The cave contains evidence of the easternmost manifestation of the Micoquian industry, associated with Neanderthals at end of MIS4 and the beginning of MIS3. Taphonomic and scar pattern analyses were performed first on random samples exhibiting appropriate characteristics. Several retouchers produced on intentionally modified blanks were identified in our sample, suggesting that some of the Chagyrskaya Cave bone retouchers can be described as formal tools. All retouchers from Chagyrskaya Cave exhibit a similar general morphology. The most variable group is comprised of complete retouchers without blank modifications. Retouchers exhibiting minor damage affect the general pattern of variability and it is not possible to identify them only by means of geometric-morphometric shape analysis. Complete retouchers with blank modifications fall within the range of variability of complete retouchers without blank modification, suggesting intentional shaping of blanks to conform to a standard template. The range of variability of the bone retouchers does not differ significantly from that of the most highly modified lithic artifacts at Chagyrskaya – plano-convex bifaces – which may indicate intentional shape control for such artifacts. Geometric-morphometric analysis indicates that the anatomical origin of bone blanks does not significantly influence the retouchers' shape, which may point to strict blank selection and, at the same time, intentional modification. Our results raise questions regarding the integration of retouchers into a complex, multidimensional "chaine-opératoire" as well as the nature of Neanderthal cognitive abilities. Geometric-morphometric shape analysis represents a major step forward in the study of prehistoric retouchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neanderthals were once widespread across Europe and western Asia. They also penetrated into the Altai Mountains of southern Siberia, but the geographical origin of these populations and the timing of their dispersal have remained elusive. Here we describe an archaeological assemblage from Chagyrskaya Cave, situated in the Altai foothills, where around 90,000 Middle Paleolithic artifacts and 74 Neanderthal remains have been recovered from deposits dating to between 59 and 49 thousand years ago (age range at 95.4% probability). Environmental reconstructions suggest that the Chagyrskaya hominins were adapted to the dry steppe and hunted bison. Their distinctive toolkit closely resembles Micoquian assemblages from central and eastern Europe, including the northern Caucasus, more than 3,000 kilometers to the west of Chagyrskaya Cave. At other Altai sites, evidence of earlier Neanderthal populations lacking associated Micoquian-like artifacts implies two or more Neanderthal incursions into this region. We identify eastern Europe as the most probable ancestral source region for the Chagyrskaya toolmakers, supported by DNA results linking the Neanderthal remains with populations in northern Croatia and the northern Caucasus, and providing a rare example of a long-distance, intercontinental population movement associated with a distinctive Paleolithic toolkit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study quantitatively reconstructs Holocene climate based on a palynological analysis of a 745-cm lake core at Gun Nuur in the northern Mongolian Plateau. The core is precisely dated with 49 dates and the dataset comprises 372 pollen samples providing high temporal resolution. We obtained quantitative reconstructions of annual temperature (Tann) and precipitation (Pann) based on comparison with a modern pollen dataset comprising 604 data sites for which climate correlation coefficients are high (R2 = 0.76 for Tann and R2 = 0.70 for Pann) and the uncertainties are relatively small (RMSEP = 1.99 °C for Tann and RMSEP = 46.22 mm for Pann). Results show that the climate in the northern Mongolian Plateau experienced a warm-dry climate in the early Holocene (∼10,300 to ∼7900 cal. yr BP), a stable cool-wet climate in the middle and early-late Holocene (∼7900 to ∼2300 cal. yr BP), and an increasingly cool-wet climate in more recent times (last ∼2300 years). The high temperature in the northern Mongolian Plateau before ∼7900 cal. yr BP is attributable to the thermal sensitivity of the interior Asian continent to high summer insolation. The nearly constant and rather stable temperature during the past ∼7900 years is most likely the result of the thermal insensitivity of the well-developed and densely-covered Taiga forests in south Siberia to declining summer insolation. Increasing precipitation in the northern Mongolian Plateau in the period before ∼7900 cal. yr BP is similar to coeval records from the Altai Mountains, the Yinshan Mountains and the Lake Baikal basin, and most likely resulted from rising sea surface temperature both in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Western Tropical Pacific Ocean. The stable and nearly constant precipitation during the past ∼7900 years most likely resulted from the combined effect of decreasing water vapor supply from the cooling Western Tropical Pacific Ocean and the increasing water vapor supply from the warming North Atlantic Ocean. • Holocene temperature variations were attributed to the temperature sensitivity to the summer insolation. • Holocene precipitation variations were mainly controlled by North Atlantic SST and Western Tropical Pacific SST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kekebieketi mining area is located on the southern margin of the Altai Mountains in Northern Xinjiang and is at the junction of the Siberia and Kazakhstan‐Junggar plates. Faults and magmatic rocks are well developed, and the main stratum is the Middle Devonian Kaxiweng Formation. The Kekebieketi‐Kalatongke‐Xibodu basic to ultrabasic mixed rock strip is an appropriate area for mineral resources and a good target to study the crustal and mantle evolution. This study explored the tectonic age and setting of basic rocks in the Kekebieketi mining area and provides a basis for the study of basic rocks and discrimination of the wider formation. The basic rocks were mainly gabbro, pyroxenolite, basic subvolcano rock, and diabase. They have all been altered to different degrees through amphibolization, sub‐amphibolization, actinolitization, chloritization, epidotization, zoisitization, uralitization, and serpentinization. Similar rare earth element compositions of the different rock types suggest that they are homologous. Enrichment of large ion lithophile elements (Cs, Rb, Sr, and U) and depletion of high field strength elements (Nb, Ta, Zr, and Hf) showed that the basic rocks have the characteristics of island arc magmatic rocks. A single zircon U–Pb age of 321 ± 2.5 Ma was obtained from a hornblende gabbro. Based on the petrological and geochemical features, we concluded that the basic rocks in the study area were formed during the post‐collision period in East Junggar. The parental magma is mainly composed of metasomatic mantle wedge material and upwelling asthenosphere, which is why it showed geochemical characteristics of subduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this publication, the discussion is focused on issues related to the stratigraphy and chronology of the Karama Lower Paleolithic site in the Altai Mountains in light of the article "Debatable Aspects of Initial Human Colonization of Siberia and Age of the Karama Site in the Altai Mountains" by V.S. Zykin, V.S. Zykina, and L.G. Smolyaninova published in Stratigraphy and Geological Correlation in 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several new finds of the Late Pleistocene porcupine ( Hystrix brachyura vinogradovi ) in the Altai Mountains of southern Siberia and the Urals occur far north of previously assigned range for porcupine. These finds have necessitated a renewed study of this species's chronology and spatial distribution. We conclude that the oldest records of this porcupine in the Ural Mountains date to MIS 5e, and its geographic range possibly included also the Altai at that time. Directly radiocarbon-dated porcupine bones in the Altai fall in MIS 3 (ca. 32,000–41,000 cal BP). It is the northernmost record of this species and the youngest find outside its current geographic range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomenon of tree waves (hedges and ribbons) formation within the alpine ecotone in Altai Mountains and its response to observed air temperature increase was considered. At the upper limit of tree growth Siberian pine ( Pinus sibirica) forms hedges on windward slopes and ribbons on the leeward ones. Hedges were formed by prevailing winds and oriented along winds direction. Ribbons were formed by snow blowing and accumulating on the leeward slope and perpendicular to the prevailing winds, as well as to the elevation gradient. Hedges were always linked with microtopography features, whereas ribbons were not. Trees are migrating upward by waves and new ribbons and hedges are forming at or near tree line, whereas at lower elevations ribbons and hedges are being transformed into closed forests. Time series of high-resolution satellite scenes (from 1968 to 2010) indicated an upslope shift in the position ribbons averaged 155±26 m (or 3.7 m yr) and crown closure increased (about 35%-90%). The hedges advance was limited by poor regeneration establishment and was negligible. Regeneration within the ribbon zone was approximately 2.5 times (5060 vs 2120 ha) higher then within the hedges zone. During the last four decades, Siberian pine in both hedges and ribbons strongly increased its growth increment, and recent tree growth rate for 50 year-old trees was about twice higher than those recorded for similarly-aged trees at the beginning of the 20 century. Hedges and ribbons are phenomena that are widespread within the southern and northern Siberian Mountains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The principal growth limiting factor shifts from temperature to soil moisture from RU to FY. • Cambial dynamic was bimodal pattern in AL, right-skewed unimodal in FY and unimodal in RU. • The length of growing seasons had a significant positive trends in two sites from Northwest China – Chinese Altai Mountains for the last six decades. • The intra-seasonal growth rate regulated tree growth rather than length of growing season. It is important to study the relationships between tree growth and phenology and climate factors in Central Asia for the sustainable development of forest ecology and the exploration of carbon sink potential in the region in a context of global change. Herein, the process-based Vaganov-Shashkin model was used to simulate tree-ring growth rates, to assess a cambial phenology (start and end of growing season) of larch trees (Larix sibirica) based on three sites located on three different latitudes in the Altai-Sayan Mountains in Central Asia over 1960–2018. It was shown that the principal factor limiting growth rates was temperature in RU (located in southern central Siberia), cambial dynamic was unimodal. In RU site, although the length of growing season did not change significantly over the past 59 years, it was correlated with tree radial growth. Moisture was the principal factor limiting the growth rates of AL and FY (located in Chinese Altai Mountains), and cambium dynamics were bimodal and unimodal, respectively. Temperature and precipitation before the start of the growing season lengthen the growing season, but this did not promote the tree radial growth. In conclusion, we determined that the climate-influenced intra-seasonal growth rate regulated tree growth rather than length of growing season in this area. In this study, the VS-simulation showed high potential develop a long-term reconstruction of cambial phenology in the Altai Mountains, which was conducive to a more comprehensive understanding of the exogenous-endogenous factors effects on tree-ring growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent botanical and zoological studies have suggested that the Altai Mountains in southern Siberia are an important refugium of the last glacial biota that used to be widespread across northern Eurasia before the Pleistocene–Holocene transition. To obtain insights into the history of this relict biota, we modelled the spatial distribution of habitats during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in the Russian Altai. We prepared a map of the current vegetation of this area based on the ground-truthed remote sensing data, and modelled the distribution of the current vegetation types using the Random Forest technique with climatic predictors. The models were projected onto the CCSM3 model of the LGM climate for the Russian Altai and interpreted for 72% of its area because the remaining part is supposed to have been glaciated during the LGM. The models projected LGM predominance of desert-steppe across most of the non-glaciated area of the Russian Altai, probably associated with areas of typical steppe, tundra grasslands and some other habitat types, including forest patches in stream valleys. It is likely that during the LGM, these habitats supported the cold-adapted open-landscape biota. In the Holocene, most of the previous grassland area changed into forest or forest-steppe and the Pleistocene biota retreated, with the exception of the Chuya Basin and the Ukok Plateau in the southeast, where the habitat change was very small and desert-steppe and associated vegetation types remained preserved. This refugial area is currently rich in the relict Pleistocene species. A different history was suggested for the precipitation-rich area in the northernmost Altai (north of Lake Teletskoye), where the LGM models suggested occurrence of patches of open forest of Larix sibirica and Pinus sibirica in forest-tundra and forest-steppe landscapes. These forests may have provided the LGM refugium for the temperate forest species that currently occur in this precipitation-rich area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new putative hybrid species of Poa, P. navashinii Nosov and P. levitskyi Nosov are described and illustrated. They were found in the southeastern Altai Mountains (southern Siberia, Russia), on a riverbank and in dry mountain steppe. Both of them resemble the species of sect. Stenopoa (a xerophytic group) but have some traits that suggest hybridization with species of other sections, presumably sect. Poa or Malacanthae. Intersectional reticulation with formation of new taxa occurs in mountain regions though species of the sect. Poa s. stricto and sect. Stenopoa cross rather rarely. Our data add support to a significant role of hybridization in the phylogeny of Poa and the Poeae tribe in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a high-quality genome sequence of a Neanderthal woman from Siberia. We show that her parents were related at the level of half-siblings and that mating among close relatives was common among her recent ancestors. We also sequenced the genome of a Neanderthal from the Caucasus to low coverage. An analysis of the relationships and population history of available archaic genomes and 25 present-day human genomes shows that several gene flow events occurred among Neanderthals, Denisovans and early modern humans, possibly including gene flow into Denisovans from an unknown archaic group. Thus, interbreeding, albeit of low magnitude, occurred among many hominin groups in the Late Pleistocene. In addition, the high-quality Neanderthal genome allows us to establish a definitive list of substitutions that became fixed in modern humans after their separation from the ancestors of Neanderthals and Denisovans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The presence of one of the oldest records of polycystine Radiolaria in the Lower Cambrian sedimentary sequence of the Ak-Kaya section (Gorny Altai) requires a biostratigraphic dating. The trilobites found recently a few tens of meters below the radiolarian-bearing level belong to Calodiscus resimus Repina, Serrodiscus fossuliferus Repina and Alacephalus aff. contortus Repina; they suggest that this part of the Shashkunar Formation can be correlated with the lower part of the Botomian stage. The absence of eyes in the two former species suggests a mode of life buried in the fine pelagic sediments. Indications of the presence of a strongly developed musculature on the third species point to a palaeoenvironment characterized by a relatively high hydrodynamic regime. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In order to study the chemical characteristics of snow-firn pack in Altai Mountains and its environmental significance, a 1.5-m deep snow-firn pack was dug in the accumulation zone (3 300 m a.s.l.) of the Kanas Glacier in August 2009. A total of 15 samples were analyzed for major ions. Results show that the concentrations of major ions in the snow-firn pack are NH>SO>Ca>NO>Na>Cl>K>Mg. NH is the dominant cation with a medium value of 4.7 ueq·L, accounting for 39.8% of the total cations, and SO is the dominant anion, with a medium value of 4.0 ueq·L, which accounts for 33.9% of the total cations. Compared with Belukha Glacier (Altai), Urumqi Glacier No. 1, and the Inilchek Glacier (Tienshan), there is a lower ion concentrations in the Kanas snow-firn pack. Potential sources of these chemical species are explored using correlation and empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analyses. The analyses indicate that major ion concentrations (except NH) originate from crustal dust. Backward trajectory analysis was applied to get the origin of the air mass to Kanas Glacier. The results suggest that air pollutants emitted by forest fires in Siberia could be transported and influence the NH, NO, and SO concentrations on the Kanas Glacier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Virtually all well-documented remains of early domestic dog (Canis familiaris) come from the late Glacial and early Holocene periods (ca. 14,000-9000 calendar years ago, cal BP), with few putative dogs found prior to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, ca. 26,500-19,000 cal BP). The dearth of pre-LGM dog-like canids and incomplete state of their preservation has until now prevented an understanding of the morphological features of transitional forms between wild wolves and domesticated dogs in temporal perspective Methodology/Principal Finding: We describe the well-preserved remains of a dog-like canid from the Razboinichya Cave (Altai Mountains of southern Siberia). Because of the extraordinary preservation of the material, including skull, mandibles (both sides) and teeth, it was possible to conduct a complete morphological description and comparison with representative examples of pre-LGM wild wolves, modern wolves, prehistoric domesticated dogs, and early dog-like canids, using morphological criteria to distinguish between wolves and dogs. It was found that the Razboinichya Cave individual is most similar to fully domesticated dogs from Greenland (about 1000 years old), and unlike ancient and modern wolves, and putative dogs from Eliseevichi I site in central Russia. Direct AMS radiocarbon dating of the skull and mandible of the Razboinichya canid conducted in three independent laboratories resulted in highly compatible ages, with average value of ca. 33,000 cal BP. Conclusions/Significance: The Razboinichya Cave specimen appears to be an incipient dog that did not give rise to late Glacial - early Holocene lineages and probably represents wolf domestication disrupted by the climatic and cultural changes associated with the LGM. The two earliest incipient dogs from Western Europe (Goyet, Belguim) and Siberia (Razboinichya), separated by thousands of kilometers, show that dog domestication was multiregional, and thus had no single place of origin (as some DNA data have suggested) and subsequent spread [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Shells of fossil molluscs are important for palaeoecological reconstructions. However, the habitat requirements of snail species typical of central European full-glacial loess sediments are poorly known because most of them became very rare or extinct in Europe. The recent discovery of an almost complete extant assemblage of such species in mountainous regions of central Asia enables more precise characterization of their habitats, which may significantly improve reconstructions of Pleistocene environments. Location Altai Mountains, Russia. Methods Terrestrial snail assemblages, vegetation composition and selected environmental variables were recorded at 118 sites along a gradient of climatic continentality in the Russian Altai. Habitat characteristics of sites where species typical of the full-glacial period occurred were described using a classification tree. Results Seven of the eight species that are typical of central European full-glacial loess sediments were found in the study area. They were confined to cool areas with January mean temperatures below −17 °C, but occurred mainly in sheltered habitats with a warmer microclimate, such as scrub or open woodland. Pupilla loessica and Vallonia tenuilabris had the broadest habitat range, occurring from woodland to dry steppe. Unexpectedly, Columella columella, Pupilla alpicola, Vertigo genesii, V. parcedentata and V. pseudosubstriata were found mainly in wooded fens and shrubby tundra rather than in open steppe. Most of these seven species were recorded in base-rich wooded fens. Very dry open steppe habitats usually supported no snails. Main conclusions Habitat ranges of the studied snails in the Altai indicate that the full-glacial landscapes of central European lowlands that harboured these species were not completely dominated by open and dry loess steppe. Most probably they contained a significant component of shrubby vegetation, patches of wet habitats, and probably also areas of woodland at sites with a favourable mesoclimate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: One of the largest known floods occurred during the Late Quaternary, emanating from an ice-dammed lake in Asia. Glacial lake Kuray–Chuja was formed by a 600-m-high ice dam converging in the Chuja River valley of the Altai Mountains in southern Siberia. The dam impounded up to 594km3 of water in the Kuray and Chuja basins. At least three floods from lake Kuray–Chuja occurred, but only the largest, or the most recent, is modelled herein. The discharge, through an ice dam breach by tunnelling or over-topping, is analysed using dam breach equations including one specifically developed for ice dam failures. From these calculations it is concluded that the ice dam need not have failed when the water was at a maximum depth (i.e. 600m deep) but, in consideration with flood routing models, it is probable that the lake emptied by over-topping under conditions of maximum water level. Although an over-topping model is favoured, a collapse of the ice dam due to initial tunnel development in the ice body cannot be precluded. The resultant flood wave ran down the Chuja River valley to the confluence with the Katun River and beyond. One-dimensional and two-dimensional unsteady and non-uniform flow modelling of the flood wave routed down the river valleys is presented that includes modelling a channel bifurcation at the confluence and backwater effects. The depth of the flood model is constrained by the altitudes of the tops of giant bars deposited by the palaeoflood, which indicate maximum flood stage. The results of the ice dam failure calculations and the flow modelling are independent of each other and are consistent, indicating in each case a flood of the order of 10Mm3 s−1, with best-fit solutions providing estimated peak flood discharges of 9 to 11Mm3 s−1. A breach, 1km wide and 250m deep, developed in the ice dam in as little as 11.6h whereas the flood duration required to evacuate the total lake volume was around 1day. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The sedimentary diatom records of three shallow lakes in the Altai Mountains, southern Siberia, were examined to assess the nature and timing of Holocene environmental changes. Few paleoenvironmental records, especially reconstructions not based on pollen, have been reported from this region. The lakes differ in elevation, annual precipitation, and catchment vegetation. Diatom assemblages in all lakes were dominated for the entire period of record by small benthic species of Pseudostaurosira Williams & Round, Staurosira Ehrenberg, and Staurosirella Williams & Round. Planktonic taxa only occur in very low abundances (<5%). The most diverse diatom flora was found in Dzhangyskol, which is situated at the lowest elevation within a forested catchment. A lack of detailed information on the ecological preferences of the dominant taxa and the complexity of environmental drivers make direct interpretation of the diatom record difficult. However, other proxies suggest that dramatic shifts in dominance between Staurosira elliptica and Staurosirella pinnata in Grusha Ozero reflect millennial-scale variability in climate. Together, chironomids and diatoms provide evidence of a cooling possibly correlative to the Younger Dryas Stade and subsequent early-Holocene warming consistent with pollen evidence of afforestation, which also is likely linked to increased humidity. By ~6000 cal year BP, the transition to a cooler, more continental climate had begun. The diatom record of Akkol shows significantly less variation in diatom community composition, but biogenic silica accumulation rates, a proxy for diatom productivity, appear to reflect climatic variability driven by insolation trends over the past 8000 years. Long-term variability in Dzhangyskol is not clearly linked to climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs) contaminations of freshwater and marine environments has become a global issue. Lakes in southern Siberia provide a wide range of ecosystem services and are essential elements in the annual and interannual runoff distribution of the Great Siberian Rivers. However, the extent of their MPs pollution remains unknown. In this paper, for the first time, we analyze the concentrations, composition, and spatial distribution of MPs in six lakes in southern Siberia. The studied lakes are located both in the Altai mountains and the West Siberian plain. Some of them are significantly impacted by human activities, while others are located in protected areas with no permanent population. Nevertheless, MPs were detected in all of the studied lakes. MPs concentrations ranged from 4 to 26 MPs L−1. Comparing with other inland lakes, South Siberian lakes presented moderate MPs concentrations. Among the registered MPs forms, fragments and films were dominant, with a size range between 31 and 60 nm. The MPs' sources depend on local human activities (fishing, transport, landfilling). Therefore, sufficiently high concentrations were observed even in remote lakes. The present study set a baseline that emphasizes the need for increased attention to waste management and sustainable water use in Siberian freshwater environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the study done on the Altai Mountains in Russia to examine the new aspects of application of dendrochronological analysis for the dating of strong earthquakes that were occurred in the past. Topics discussed include seismic zoning and distinguishing the territories of high seismic activity, spreading the forest vegetation in seismically active areas, and dendrochronological dating of paleoearthquakes.

Comments on Gary Tepfar's photographs of remnants of ancient Altai mountain cultures in southern Siberia and contemporary mountain inhabitants. Exhibition at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington D.C.