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The neighbouring sites of Berești and Mălușteni (Eastern Carpathian Foreland, eastern Romania) have yielded the most abundant and taxonomically diverse Pliocene vertebrate assemblages described so far from the entire country. Some of the small mammals found here were described as new taxa, and occasionally reassessed during the past one hundred years, but most of the material collected initially remained unrevised. Here, we provide a taxonomic revision of all the small mammal material (insectivores, rodents, and lagomorphs) that could be found in three main collections. The studied specimens were assigned to the insectivore families Desmanidae (Desmana verestchagini and Talpa sp.), and Erinaceidae (Erinaceus sp.); to the rodent families Muridae (Mimomys sp. or Promimomys sp.; Allocricetus sp.), Sciuridae (Spermophilus cf. nogaici), Spalacidae (Pliospalax macoveii), and Castoridae (Trogontherium minus, Castor fiber); and to the lagomorph families Leporidae (Trischizolagus dumitrescuae) and Ochotonidae (Ochotona ursui). Compared to the faunal assemblages described from Central-Eastern Europe, the identified taxa (some confirmed, others reassessed as synonyms) support an Early Pliocene age for the vertebrate assemblages from Berești and Mălușteni. Both faunal assemblages are assigned to the Ruscinian, with the faunas from Berești being considered geologically slightly older than the ones from Mălușteni.

Aim Many species experienced population turnover and local extinction during the Late Pleistocene. In the case of megafauna, it remains challenging to disentangle climate change and the activities of Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers as the main cause. In contrast, the impact of humans on rodent populations is likely to be negligible. This study investigated which climatic and/or environmental factors affect the population dynamics of the common vole. This temperate rodent is widespread across Europe and was one of the most abundant small mammal species throughout the Late Pleistocene. Location Europe. Taxon Common vole (Microtus arvalis). Methods We generated a dataset comprised of 4.2 kb long fragment of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from 148 ancient and 51 modern specimens sampled from multiple localities across Europe and covering the last 60 thousand years (ka). We used Bayesian inference to reconstruct their phylogenetic relationships and to estimate the age of the specimens that were not directly dated. Results We estimated the time to the most recent common ancestor of all last glacial and extant common vole lineages to be 90 ka ago and the divergence of the main mtDNA lineages present in extant populations to between 55 and 40 ka ago, which is earlier than most previous estimates. We detected several lineage turnovers in Europe during the period of high climate variability at the end of Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3; 57-29 ka ago) in addition to those found previously around the Pleistocene/Holocene transition. In contrast, data from the Western Carpathians suggest continuity throughout the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) even at high latitudes. Main Conclusions The main factor affecting the common vole populations during the last glacial period was the decrease in open habitat during the interstadials, whereas climate deterioration during the LGM had little impact on population dynamics. This suggests that the rapid environmental change rather than other factors was the major force shaping the histories of the Late Pleistocene faunas. IT1602-22 CGL2011-30274 CGL2015-71255-P PCCF16/2016 126/2018 PCE2282/2020 RYC-2016-19386 31003A_176209 2017/25/B/NZ8/02005 2015/19/D/NZ8/03878 ESP1209403HFST-P info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

1AbstractAimThe common vole is a temperate rodent widespread across Europe. It was also one of the most abundant small mammal species throughout the Late Pleistocene. Phylogeographic studies of its extant populations suggested the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 26.5–19 ka ago) as one of the main drivers of the species’ population dynamics. However, analyses based solely on extant genetic diversity may not recover the full complexity of past population history. The main aim of this study was to investigate the evolutionary history and identify the main drivers of the common vole population dynamics during the Late Pleistocene.LocationEuropeTaxonCommon vole (Microtus arvalis)MethodsWe generated a dataset comprising 4.2 kb-long fragment of mitochondrial DNA from 148 ancient and 51 modern specimens sampled from multiple localities across Europe and covering the last 60 thousand years (ka). We used Bayesian inference to reconstruct their phylogenetic relationships and to estimate the age of specimens that were not directly dated.ResultsWe estimate the time to the most recent common ancestor of all Last Glacial and extant common vole lineages to 90 ka ago and the divergence of the main mtDNA lineages present in extant populations to between 55 and 40 ka ago, earlier than previous estimates. We find multiple lineage turnovers in Europe in the period of high climate variability at the end of Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3; 57–29 ka ago) in addition to those found previously around the Pleistocene/Holocene transition. Conversely, data from the Western Carpathians suggest continuity throughout the LGM even at high latitudes.Main conclusionsOur results suggest that the main factor affecting the common vole populations during the last glacial period was the reduction of open habitats during the interstadial periods while the climate deterioration during the LGM had little impact on species’ population dynamics.

This paper describes an Early Pleistocene amphibian and squamate assemblage from the Dacian Basin, southern Romania. The fossil sample allows for the identification of a moderately diverse assemblage, which includes representatives of 13 genera of the families Salamandridae (Lissotriton vulgaris, Triturus sp.), Bombinatoridae (Bombina sp.), Hylidae (Hyla aff. Hyla arborea), Bufonidae (Bufo bufo), Pelobatidae (Pelobates syriacus), Ranidae (Ranidae indet., Pelophylax sp., Rana ?temporaria, Rana sp.), Lacertidae (Lacertidae indet.), Anguidae (Pseudopus sp.), Natricidae (Natrix natrix), and Colubridae (Coronella austriaca, Zamenis longissimus). The taxonomic composition of the Early Pleistocene amphibian and squamate assemblage from Copaceni is similar to the one reported from other Romanian sites of the same age, and also to that of Recent Romanian herpetofaunas. The amphibian and squamate assemblage from Copaceni supports the existence of a permanent freshwater body, of neighbouring forests or shrubberies, and thick soil, in an Early Pleistocene climate that was warmer than the present one.

The Early Pleistocene of Eurasia is marked by significant climatic, environmental, and faunal shifts and is the time during which Homo first appears in the Eurasian fossil record. To better characterize the environments that were available to these hominins, accurate data regarding the faunal composition of eastern European sites are necessary, as this is the region through which Homo is hypothesized to have dispersed into Europe. Here we present updated and revised taxonomy and biochronology for sites in the Olteţ River Valley (ORV) of central Romania. The site of Graunceanu is one of the most fossiliferous deposits from this time. Excavations and descriptions of the ORV sites took place during the 1960–1980s, but since that time many taxonomic revisions have been published. Here, we present a reassessment and update of the fauna from the ORV sites. We report several new taxa (e.g., Pachystruthio, Smutsia) and expand the known biogeographic range for other taxa (e.g., Puma pardoides). Our biochronological assessment of this updated taxonomy is consistent with previous reports, though with some refinement. We suggest Graunceanu is Late Villafranchian (~2.2–1.9 Ma) and compositionally similar to the sites of Saint-Vallier (France) and Vatera (Greece). Similarly, the La Pietris assemblage was likely deposited >1.7 Ma. The younger site of Fântâna lui Mitilan was deposited after 1.8 Ma, and perhaps as recently as 1.1 Ma. Thus, the ORV faunal assemblages provide an excellent record of nearly the entire span of the Late Villafranchian for both central Romania and eastern Europe.

The authors present the Collembola species collected from the Buzău Land Geopark (Buzău Mountains, Romania). The uniqueness of the Buzău Land Geopark is illustrated by the presence of very rare collembolan species such as Friesea afurcata (Denis, 1926), Deutonura phlegraea (Caroli, 1910), Xenylla welchi Folsom, 1916, Desoria tigrina Nicolet, 1842, Tetracanthella transylvanica Cassagnau, 1959 and Neanura parva (Stach, 1951). We also mention here Orchesella maculosa Ionescu, 1915, an endemic species for the Carpathian Mountains (Romania and Ukraine).

(1) Background: Show caves are unique natural attractions and touristic traffic can trigger their degradation within a very short time. There are no universal solutions to counter the effects of the touristic impact upon cave environment and both protection protocols and management plans have to be established on a case-by-case basis; (2) Methods: The study includes four show caves from the Romanian Carpathians, where monitoring of the number of visitors, paralleled by the monitoring of the main physico-chemical parameters of the air and water (CO2, temperature, humidity, drip rate, conductivity, and pH) was implemented; (3) Results and Conclusions: The results of the study has: (i) established a monitoring protocol to be applied to each of the four show caves; (ii) established a set of basic principles to be enforced by the management of show caves; (iii) issued a set of preventive measures and instructions to be followed by the personnel and stakeholders of the caves.

In rural areas without centralized water supply systems, inhabitants often use groundwater of unknown quality as drinking water, without understanding the possible negative consequences on their health. Karstic spring waters from Dobrogea region in Romania were assessed for their potential to be used as drinking water source, according to their quality and seasonal variation. The physico-chemical parameters of waters were compared with the guideline values for drinking water established by the World Health Organization and the Directive 98/83/EC. The nitrate and Cr concentrations exceeded the guideline value in the springs from Southern Dobrogea, but met the quality criteria in those from Northern Dobrogea, thus, to be used as drinking water, the karstic springs located in Southern Dobrogea require treatment for nitrates removal. Heavy metals pollution indices showed low to medium cumulative heavy metal pollution in all springs, while the human health risk assessment by oral exposure indicated possible noncarcinogenic risks of nitrates, both for adults and children in springs from South Dobrogea. A rigorous monitoring of the water quality before human consumption is recommended for all four studied water sources.

Caves often hold valuable palaeoclimate archives including speleothems, fossil remains, and clastic sediments that complement each other. This paper presents a multi-archive interdisciplinary study of an extensive deposit of fossil mammals from the scientific reserve in the Muierilor Cave, Southern Carpathians, Romania. We present two new palaeontological excavations that indicate a high abundance and diversity of MIS 3–2 fossil mammals (carnivores, omnivores and herbivores) synchronous with the early modern humans known from this cave. Using geochronological and sedimentological methods, we present a general reconstruction of the cave evolution between ~120 kyr B.P. and the Holocene. The study is based on a combination of geochronological tools including OSL dating of sediments, U/Th dating of speleothems, and radiocarbon dating of fossil remains, with a total of 54 ages. Based on U/Th dating of speleothems from stratigraphically-relevant positions, we show that the MIS 3 assemblage of fossil mammals were massively reworked and deposited during the post-LGM deglaciation, slightly earlier than previously known for the Southern Carpathians. On the other hand, several young radiocarbon ages of cave bear samples suggest that the Southern Carpathians might have been functioning as a glacial refuge for this species as late as ~22 kyr B.P.

The Olteț River Valley in southern Romania hosts a large number of fossiliferous sites, the richest of which is Valea Grăunceanului. Based on biochronological estimations, these sites were assigned to the Late Villafranchian (MN17/MNQ1), at ~2.0-1.8 Ma. As yet, no other dating methods were employed and our present study aims to provide the geological and geomorphological background for radiometric and trapped charge dating, as well as for the stratigraphic correlation of these sites. These deposits are represented by fluvial-lacustrine sediments belonging to the Dacian Basin, a part of the Eastern Paratethys domain. Our approach is to create a regional stratigraphic column onto which to place the fossil sites. We first created a high-resolution 3D model of the surface using UAV technology. Further, we sampled sediments from several sections and determined their grain size and mineralogy. We also sampled pedogenic carbonates and fossil teeth for preliminary geochemical analysis, in preparation for uranium series dating. Although no human fossils have been found so far in the Olteț River Valley, the site is important for understanding the environment used by early humans to migrate out of Africa. These sites are close both in time and space to important anthropological sites such as Dmanisi, Khapry or Kozarnika, while being part of an area dominated by large water bodies that included the Pannonian, Dacian and Euxinic lakes.

The harsh climatic conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) period have been considered the cause of local extinctions and major faunal reorganizations that took place at the end of the Pleistocene. Recent studies have shown, however, that in addition many of these ecological events were associated with abrupt climate changes during the so-called Late Glacial and the Pleistocene/Holocene transition. Here we used ancient DNA to investigate the impact of those changes on common vole (Microtus arvalis) populations in Europe. The common vole is a temperate rodent species widespread in Europe. The genetic diversity of modern populations and the fossil record suggests that the species may have survived cold episodes, like LGM, not only in the traditional Mediterranean glacial refugia but also at higher latitudes in cryptic northern refugia located in Central France, the northern Alps as well as the Carpathians. However, the details of the post-glacial recolonization and the impact of the Late Glacial and Early Holocene climate changes on the evolutionary history of the common vole remains unclear. To address this issue, we analysed mtDNA cytochrome b sequences from more than one hundred common vole specimens from 36 paleontological and archaeological sites scattered across Europe. Our data suggest that populations from the European mid- and high latitudes suffered a local population extinction and contraction as a result of Late Glacial and Early Holocene climate and environmental changes. The recolonization of earlier abandoned areas took place in the Mid- to Late Holocene. In contrast, at low latitudes, in Northern Spain there was a continuity of common vole populations. This indicates different responses of common vole populations to climate and environmental changes across Europe and corroborates the hypothesis that abrupt changes, like those associated with Younger Dryas and the Pleistocene/Holocene transition, had a significant impact on populations at the mid- and high latitudes of Europe.

Until recently, the cave-based Middle Palaeolithic in Romania offered almost exclusively archaeological collections without chronological control, the limited number of radiocarbon samples reported usually lacking a precise archaeological context. In an effort to improve such limitations, we initiated an interdisciplinary research of the archaeological profile Abri 122 – Varghis (Vârghis) Gorges (Romania), a site that so far produced the most important Middle Palaeolithic lithic assemblage in the Carpathian region. Initial archaeological research in the karst system of Varghis Gorges dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. For the most part, the archaeological collections recovered, although consistent, remained unpublished. The lithic analysis presented here discusses one of the richest such collections, hosted in the Szekely National Museum and recovered from Abri 122 site during previous excavations, complemented by our own survey during last years. It appears that the main raw material used for tool making was quartzite, followed by lydite, opal, and volcanic rocks. Blank production seems to have favored medium to large size flakes, irrespectively of the chosen raw material. Alongside partially retouched flakes and blades, the formal tools category includes sidescrapers, endscrapers, unifacial and bifacial points. Unlike the majority of the unmodified quartzite blanks, formal tools are mainly made of lydite/opal and basalt/andesite. Albeit the archaeological material appears scattered throughout the entire vertical span, two main clusters of lithics are apparent in the newly surveyed profile. The recovered faunal remains belong to herbivores such as Bos/Bison and Capra, canids ( Canis lupus ) and cave bears ( Ursus spelaeus ). Several bone items show traces of defleshing and intentional use. Establishing a reliable chronological framing for the archaeological sequence at Abri 122 proved rather challenging. While radiocarbon dating was complicated by scarcity of collagen in bone remains and age of samples at or beyond the upper limit of the method, the upper span of the Middle Palaeolithic assemblages at Abri 122 likely reaches into Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3. Optically (OSL) and infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) dating of silt-sized grains indicate ages of >100 ka for the lowermost cluster of lithics/bones. These ages must be regarded as maximum ages for the Middle Palaeolithic assemblage at Abri 122.

Air microbial pollution in touristic areas poses a risk for both the integrity of an ecosystem and human health. Microbiological monitoring together with environmental parameters monitoring allows for the assessment of the impacts and formulation of sound management decisions to protect humans and ecosystems. Four show caves from the Carpathian Mountains were selected for our study. The caves were sampled monthly to obtain an overview of the changes that occur over a yearly cycle. For the microbial monitoring, we used RIDA®COUNT test plates, while the environmental parameters were monitored with a variety of devices. Second and third generations of microbes extracted from the plates were grown on specific media for the purpose of 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA extraction and taxa identification. The bacterial communities identified in the air samples in the four investigated show caves were dominated by Staphylococcus, while regarding the fungi communities, Penicillium was more likely to occur in the touristic part of the caves and Cladosporium in the non-visited passages. Together with data on number of visitors, number of bats and radon levels we were able understand the impact of tourists on the cave environment and to generate microbiological risk maps for human health. This type of comprehensive study can be used not only to protect the integrity of a touristic area from the impacts caused by the introduction of allochthonous organic matter, but also for the protection of the tourists and guides from potential pathogenic taxa.

The palaeoichnology of the cave bear, Ursus spelaeus , was studied at Ursilor Cave, Apuseni Mountains, Romania, to acquire new data about the ethology and the metrics of this extinct species. Eight stations containing footprints, scratch marks and nests were surveyed using laser scanning to build tridimensional models for several cave bear nests, wall scratch marks and footprints. Morphological observations were made using the models, and precise measurements of the breadth or depth of the scratch marks were performed. In addition, >100 cave bear nests and 10 footprints were measured and analyzed. The palaeoichnogical data were corroborated with previously obtained information on the taphonomy, geomorphology, sedimentology and geochronology from this site. Several bioglyphs (e.g., scratch marks, footprints) were indirectly dated to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 by identifying and assigning them to co-occurring cave bear skeletons. As a consequence, we stress the need for a multidisciplinary approach in order to assess the palaeoichnology of cave bear sites. Findings fill a gap in our knowledge because cave bear bioglyphs are one of the less studied branches of cave bear research due to the scarcity and fragility of ichnological features.

The Early Pleistocene is recognized as a time of major global climatic and environmental change, including increasing aridity, significant spread of grasslands, and substantial faunal turnovers and dispersals. Importantly, this is the first time hominins are found in Eurasia. Reconstructing the types of environments that existed during this time is imperative for understanding mammalian, including hominin, dispersal patterns relative to climatic change. One proposed dispersal corridor across Europe is the Danube River. Here we characterize the 2.2 to ~1.1 million years ago (Ma) paleoenvironments surrounding one of the tributaries to the Danube, the Olteţ River, in southern Romania using a multiproxy approach, including taxonomic uniformitarianism, dental mesowear, dental microwear, enamel stable isotope (carbon and oxygen), and coprolite/palynology analyses, and compare our results to other penecontemporaneous Eurasian sites. Older sites from this region, Graunceanu and La Pietris, both dating to 2.2–1.9 Ma, are reconstructed as being primarily open, though with some nearby woodlands and significant water resources. Fântâna lui Mitilan, which is younger (1.8–1.1 Ma), is reconstructed as slightly more closed, though still relatively open in nature. These results are similar to reconstructions for other Early Pleistocene Eurasian sites, including ones with and without hominins, suggesting that hominins were likely not inhibited from dispersing across Eurasia due to environmental constraints at this time.

Spatial distribution analyses of fossil bones are often used in cave taphonomy for i) assessing directly the size of a given fossil population and ii) indirectly, for palaeo-environmental reconstructions. Urşilor Cave from northwestern Romania hosts one of the richest MIS 3 cave bear bone assemblages of Europe, and as the nature of the bone deposition was not settled yet, the study of the size of cave bear population and the distribution of the skeletal element was needed. More than 11,500 cave bear skeletal elements (NISPtotal = 11, 511), derived from 105 individuals (MNIcanines = 105) were extracted from the palaeontological excavation (ca. 9 m2) from the lower level of the cave and documented (photographed, mapped, and topographically measured). Almost 58% of all analyzed bones and teeth are concentrated in three quadrants of the excavation (C1, D1 and E2); the bones’ density decreases in the D4 and A1 quadrants. Based on the obtained results on the spatial distribution of the cave bear bones, we assume that the studied bone assemblage should be now regarded as a consequence of a cave trap (deposition in situ) while the hypothesis of fluvial transport (previously assumed) becomes questionable.

The aim of this study was to monitor factors affecting the microorganisms of water bodies in caves and apply the findings to improve their management. Four show-caves in Romania were sampled monthly to obtain an overview of the changes occurring in the fungal and bacterial communities of cave waters in relation to surface and underground impacts. Test plates were used for microbiological monitoring, alongside the recording of environmental parameters - physicochemical, drip rates, and number of both bats and tourists. A higher number of microbes were obtained during springtime and the summer tourist peak-season. None of the identified strains were cave-specific, and the presence of human-associated taxa was observed from all of the sites. A lack of significant correlation between the abundances of the microorganisms and the physicochemical parameters of the water emphasise the reliability of microorganisms as significant proxies for impacts on underground environments and their use in management decisions.

Resume Dans le cadre de cette etude, la chronologie de plusieurs gisements intralœssiques du Paleolithique superieur et moyen, situes en Moldavie, en Dobrogea et dans la plaine orientale du Danube, a ete reexaminee et precisee en s’appuyant sur de nouvelles donnees chronologiques (dates IRSL sur lœss et dates ESR/U-Th sur dents) ainsi que sur des arguments biostratigraphiques et pedostratigraphiques. Des temoins d’occupation du Paleolithique moyen ont ete mis au jour dans le lœss L2 du SIM 6 (episode interstadiaire), le pedocomplexe S2 du SIM 7 et le pedocomplexe de sols rougeâtres S3 vraisemblablement attribue au SIM 9. Ces resultats nous amenent a reconsiderer l’etendue chronologique du Paleolithique moyen de Roumanie qui jusqu’au debut des annees 2000 (Paunescu, 1999a, b ; Cârciumaru, 1999) etait limitee au Pleistocene superieur (chronologie courte : 130–35 ka ; SIM 5-SIM 3). Nous demontrons donc ici la presence de traces d’occupation humaine des le Pleistocene moyen a la peripherie orientale des Carpates roumaines, le long de la vallee du Danube et de son affluent le Prut.

The Ursilor Cave (NW Romania) is a famous cave bear paleontological site hosting an important Late Pleistocene faunal assemblage and subject to systematic excavation works. To better understand the origin of fossil assemblages, the sedimentary history of the cave must be reconstructed. We conducted a series of investigations on various cave deposits which included sedimentology and grain-size analyses, U-series dating of speleothems, OSL dating of sediments, and AMS radiocarbon dating of fossil remains. The results allowed for the identification of several major chronological controls for the evolution of the cave during the last 300,000 years. Five evolutionary stages or key-moments were dated, and a tentative speleogenetic scenario is presented. The combined numerical dates and sedimentological study show that the evolution of the cave was more complex than previously thought. In particular, the fossil accumulation was related to a succession of rapid flooding events at ∼47–40 ka. Alternating depositional and erosional phases have occurred since at least 210 ka complicating the sediment structures. The results suggest that the upper and lower levels of the cave may have been functioned occasionally as hydrologically separated karst systems and that the animal populations from what is now a single cave system may not necessarily be synchronous. This case study shows that reconstructing sedimentary history of a given cave is crucial for the correct understanding of its thanatocenosis.

In taphonomy, the study of carnivore modification of fossil bones and the analysis of their dispersion represent the best approach to assessing the extent of bone modification and displacement for a given bone assemblage. Here we analyze the excavated bone deposit from Ursilor Cave, a well-documented and fossil-rich Upper Pleistocene cave bear site from the Romanian Carpathian Mountains. More than 1400 limb bones or bone remains were analyzed (NISPleft and right = 1424) and 69 measurable puncture marks were identified, measured and morphologically analyzed. Moreover, for assessing the degree of bone scattering, almost 540 cave bear limb bones and mandibles were refitted and the Index of Skeletal Disjunction (ISD) was calculated for the entire bone assemblage. More than 30 % of the analyzed cave bear limb bones were affected by carnivores: the ulnae were the most affected (39.3 %) while the humeri and femora were less modified (24.7 % and 25.5 %, respectively). The range of variation in size of the puncture marks, the morphological features of various tooth marks and the faunal composition of the studied bone assemblage indicate that at least two carnivore taxa are responsible for the bone modifications. The results obtained for the ISD index indicate higher displacement for femora when compared to other bones (e.g. tibiae, mandibles, humeri). Our analyses of bone modifications caused by carnivores indicate a low level of the scattering of intensely modified (by in situ consumption) bones, and notable carnivore impact on the configuration of the bone assemblage. Key words: Ursus spelaeus, taphonomy, ISD, tooth marks, Ursilor Cave, Romanian Carpathians. Vpliv zveri na kosti jamskih medvedov iz jame UrSilor (SZ Romunija) in analiza njihove razkropljenosti Proucevanje sledov zveri na fosilnih kosteh in razkropljenosti kosti v prostoru je najboljse tafonomsko orodje za pridobivanje podatkov o obsegu taksnih pojavov znotraj posameznega paleontoloskega zbira. V raziskavi obravnavamo kosti jamskega medveda iz jame Ursilor, dobro raziskanega mlajsepleistocenskega najdisca v Romunskih Karpatih. Analizirali smo vec kot 1424 dolgih cevastih kosti okoncin ali njihovih odlomkov in pri tem prepoznali, izmerili in morfolosko analizirali 69 odtiskov zob. Poleg tega smo izracunali indeks razkropljenosti okostja (Index of Skeletal Disjunction, ISD) za celotni paleontoloski zbir, zaradi cesar smo sestavili skoraj 540 dolgih cevastih kosti okoncin in spodnjih celjustnic jamskega medveda. Sledove zveri smo prepoznali na vec kot 30 % kosti okoncin, najpogosteje na komolcnicah (39.3 %), nekoliko redkeje pa na nadlahtnicah in stegnenicah (24.7 % oz. 25.5 %). Variabilnost v velikosti odtiskov zob, njihovih morfoloskih znacilnostih in favnisticni sestavi proucevanega paleontoloskega zbira pricajo o tem, da sta ugotovljene spremembe medvedjih kosti povzrocili vsaj dve razlicni zveri. Vrednosti indeksa razkropljenosti okostja kažejo na izrazitejso razkropljenost stegnenic v primerjavi z drugimi kostmi (npr. golenicami, nadlahtnicami, spodnjimi celjustnicami). Nasa analiza kaže na skromno razkropljenost intenzivno obgrizenih kosti (zaradi hranjenja v sami jami) in znaten vpliv zveri na konfiguracijo paleontoloskega zbira. Kljucne besede: Ursus spelaeus, tafonomija, ISD, ugrizi, jama Ursilor, Romunski Karpati.

As a result of multidisciplinary investigations carried out, in the last two decades, the knowledge of the Pliocene and Quaternary stratigraphy from Dacian Basin has increased considerably. New lithostratigraphic units were revealed, for example: Trajkovo Fm (Romanian), Vlǎdeni Fm, Vânǎtori Fm (Pleistocene), and other units have been reassessed: Izvoarele Fm, Tulucesti Fm (Romanian). A new biozonation based on molluscan fauna from the Late Pliocene ( NSM11 , NSM12 ) and Pleistocene ( QM1-QM9 ) deposits made possible a more accurate subdivision and cronostratigraphical assignments and correlations. Many localities with Romanian mammal associations (Lupoaia, Drǎnic, Podari, Tetoiu, Leu etc.) were reviewed, adding new taxa in the faunal list, with implications for accurately establishing host deposit ages. These studies, together with bio-magnetostratigraphic investigations led to revision of the Romanian Stage boundaries and subdivisions (Pelendavian, Valahian) and to outline several new Pleistocene chronostratigraphic units: the Argedavian, Dinogetian, Ilfovian stages and Milcovian, Uzunian, Netindavian, Musaisian substages. Finally, one major achievement consisted in the Pliocene/Pleistocene boundary relocation in the Dacian Basin, in agreement with its new position at ∼2.6 Ma in the Mediterranean realm.

The Danube has long been considered a "highway" for the prehistoric hominin colonization of Europe. However, its role in the two most significant episodes of colonization e the first peopling of Europe in the LowereMiddle Pleistocene, and Late Pleistocene colonization by anatomically modern humans e is presently a matter of hypothesis based on the locations of only a few key archaeological sites. Much of Eastern Europe has a particularly low density of known sites, in part due to the thick loess deposits blanketing the region which provide a challenging environment for archaeological survey. Our project, the Lower Danube Survey (LoDanS), aims to discover new Paleolithic sites and to reassess previously identified sites in the southeastern Romanian loess steppe between the Danube River and the Black Sea. Here we present the preliminary results of our first three seasons (2010e2012) of geoarchaeological survey and excavation in the lower Danube basin. We revisit and reexamine the lithostratigraphic and lithic data available from previously known sites in the region. We also provide new luminescence ages from one of these sites, Cuza Voda!, and confirm its previously proposed Middle Paleolithic antiquity. We describe three newly discovered stratified Paleolithic sites, which together with existing sites confirm occupation of the Romanian loess steppe during the Lower, Middle and Paleolithic. Additional pre- liminary work at a nearby geological loess profile provides valuable paleoenvironmental context for hominin occupation of the region throughout the Pleistocene. Our investigations elucidate strategies and prospects for new site discoveries in open loess steppe landscapes such as those of Eastern Europe.

Some of the most dynamic systems being built today consist of physically mobile hosts and logically mobile agents. Such systems exhibit frequent configuration changes and a great deal of resource variability. In this article we present a semantic service discovery and the semantic algorithm it relies on. Finally we present results obtained in the implementation of this algorithm and our conclusions.

Five samples of clastic sediments from interior cave facies taken in three Slovenian relic caves (Trhlovca, Račiška pečina, and a cave in Črnotiče Quarry, Classical Karst, SW Slovenia) provided invertebrate fossil remains. Most of them belong to Oribatida but sparse individuals of Cladocera and insects were also identified. They represent the first pre-Quaternary invertebrate fossils found in sediments of continental temperate climate. The Pliocene/Pleistocene age of the sediments was determined by paleomagnetic dating chronologically calibrated by micromammal biostratigraphy. Invertebrate fossils could be validated as new proxy for the study of cave sediments due to their suitability for ecological and paleogeographic correlations in caves and outside the caves. They also bring additional information about cave formation and karst hydraulic regime in the area. Even if the number of remains was very low, it represents evidence that climatic conditions in caves allow a better preservation of fossil remains of some groups as compared to most of the surface habitats. This may open a new direction in the study of cave sediments.