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On the eastern Adriatic coast many sites contain avifaunal remains, but only few have abundant bird remains in combination with long stratigraphic sequence. In order to get insight into bird use by humans from the Late Upper Palaeolithic to the Neolithic on the eastern Adriatic coast, we compiled and compared avifaunal records from two cave sites on different sides of the Adriatic Sea: Ljubićeva pećina in southern Istria and Vela spila on the western part of the island of Korčula. Both sites have almost continuous stratigraphy from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene with cultural remains that span from the Late Upper Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age. Anthropogenic surface modifications such as cut marks, peeling marks and burned bones were recorded on the bird bones from both sites, indicating humans as important accumulation agents of the birds. Similar patterns were observed: relative abundant anthropogenic surface modifications in the Late Upper Palaeolithic levels, compared to rare modifications in the Neolithic levels. However, Mesolithic levels were recorded only in Vela spila and they were characterised by increased anthropogenic surface modifications compared to the Late Upper Palaeolithic levels.

This paper presents palaeoecological and taphonomic analyses of bird remains from Late Pleistocene sediments from two caves in southern Istria, Šandalja II and Ljubićeva pećina. Most of the determined species are found today in Istria and along the Adriatic coast, although the presence of ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) and willow grouse (L. lagopus) indicates colder conditions than those characteristic of the region today. Taxa from both sites are characteristic of open, forest-steppe, rocky, forest, and mixed biotopes. These sites differ somewhat in avifaunal composition – aquatic-adapted taxa are only found at Šandalja, probably reflecting differences in human activities and in their geographic settings. Likewise, only Šandalja’s assemblages show an increase in the representation of forest- adapted taxa over time. These data from the bird remains complement reconstructions based on mammalian assemblages from these sites. Different taphonomic agents accumulated the bird bones, and bone surface modifications show that birds of prey, small carnivores, and Late Upper Palaeolithic people helped accumulate these assemblages. The important Late Pleistocene avifaunal assemblages from southern Istria indicate that a mosaic of habitats was present during the Late Pleistocene and a deep time-depth to the rich biodiversity of the region today. Furthermore they suggest that the exposed Adriatic Plain supported a diverse and rich biome.

Taxonomic, metric and taphonomic analysis of the Upper Pleistocene faunal assemblage found in Hijenska pećina („Hyena cave“), a fossil cave discovered through quarrying activities in 1972, that was excavated and briefly published by Mirko Malez (1973 ; 1975 ; 1986 ; Malez et al., 1974). The fossil material from Hijenska pećina consists of 453 bones, bone fragments and teeth plus eight hyena coprolites. There are 20 different taxa present in the assemblage, including large and small mammals and one reptile. Total number of identified specimens NISP is 278 which is 61, 4% of the whole assemblage. The remaining 175 specimens are unidentifiable. Taxonomic analysis of the faunal assemblage has confirmed the presence of some of the taxa determined by Malez (1986), but also it has added some new taxa and taken away some others (Table 1.). Bones and teeth belonging to Crocuta crocuta spelaea are the most abundant with 41% of the total NISP. The assemblage consists of mostly adult individuals, several infants and a few subadults and old individuals. Taphonomical analysis has shown that most of the bones, due to the microenvironmental coditions inside the cave, show some degree of weathering and 42, 1% of the bones are covered with calcium carbonate. Traces of gnawing, mostly rodent gnawing, are present on 59 bones. Bos primigenius tibia, displays interesting marks on one side of the diaphysis, which could be either cut marks, trampling marks or incisor marks produced by very young hyenas. Two main possible factors responsible for the accumulation were identified: hyenas as bone accummulators and/or the cave having a vertical opening and acting as a natural trap. However, we do not exclude the possibility of other factors contributing to the accumulation.

Archeogenetics is a discipline based on molecular and population genetics with target to analyse ancient biological remains (ancient DNA). It is mainly oriented to ancient DNA from humans and domestic animals and plants, although, analyses of other materials might come to use. The full exploitation of archeogenetic information is heavily dependent on the interdisciplinary research as the sound explanations would require knowledge on a number of diverse disciplines (paleontology, zooarchaeology, archaeology, molecular genetics and population genetics). We built a small team of researchers involved in all required disciplines in order to analyse faunal remains present in Croatia with focus on domestic animals and their wild relatives. While our interests are wide with respect to a number of domestic species and their wild relatives we decided to start with lagomorphs. This decision has been very much influenced by the activities of a COST RGB project entitled "A collaborative European Network on Rabbit Genome Biology - RGB- Net " where we are participating (WG1: Refinement of the European rabbit genome resource and development of genome-based platforms and WG4: Genetics and comparative genomic aspects for the study, exploitation and management of wild lagomorphs). Currently, the status of literature overview is the following. MtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) has been determined from a large number of lagomorph species at the individual level and the comparison of those DNA sequences represents a mainstay of phylogenetics, in that it allows biologists to elucidate the evolutionary relationships among species and it also permits an examination of the relatedness of populations. MtDNA genetic diversity analysing mitochondrial DNA from remains of archaeological sites with present population theories of origin of O. cuniculus were postulated, also other markers were used as well (heteroplasmy, RFLP, mtDNA sequencing–cyt b, tRNA, CR). The study of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of the entire rabbit mtDNA molecule revealed the existence of two very distinct maternal lineages (Ennafaa et al., 1987 ; Biju-Duval et al., 1991). Lineage A was found in the south-west of the Iberian Peninsula and lineage B in the rest of Europe (including northern Spain) and also in domestic breeds. A clear subdivision into two groups was also found when nuclear genes were studied (Van der Loo et al., 1991, 1999 ; Ferrand, 1995), with a geographical distribution that largely coincides with that of the two mitochondrial clades A and B. Thus clade A was tentatively associated with O. c. algirus and clade B with O. c. cuniculus, as well as the corresponding nuclear gene pools (Biju-Duval et al., 1991 ; van der Loo et al., 1991 ; Ferrand, 1995 ; Branco & Ferrand, 1998). Even during the coldest periods, three regions in the Mediterranean area had temperate climates ; the Iberian and Italian peninsulas, and the Balkans (Bennet et al. 1991). When the temperature decreased, the northern populations of many species became extinct, but the species may have survived during hostile times in these Mediterranean refugia. From plant and animal remains it is clear that most organisms presently distributed across Europe were in refugia in the south at the height of glaciations 18 000 BP, many in the peninsulas of Iberia, Italy and the Balkans, and some possibly near the Caucasus and Caspian Sea (Hewit, 1999). Present lagomorphs in Croatia are Lepus europaeus and Oryctolaguscuniculus. Taxonomic identification of lagomorphs remains in this preliminary study is based exclusively on their morphometric characteristics. Future work is the ancient DNA analysis, sequencing of whole mtDNA by new technology, and filling gaps with Balkan refugia which we missed in literature.

Vela Spila is a cave on the western end of Korčula island, Croatia. The first archaeological excavations date back to the mid-20th century, and since the 1970s systematic research has been carried out. The zooarchaeological analysis of larger mammal remains shows interesting shifts in taxonomic representation. They are interpreted in terms of the nature and intensity of human occupations, changes in past human diet, ecological changes (climate and sea level rise), and demographic/cultural changes caused by the spread of farming in the Eastern Adriatic region. This paper presents an analysis of animal remains from Trench 2 (NISP = 1784) excavated in 2010 and 2011. During the final stages of the Late Pleistocene and transition to the Early Holocene a significant increase in leporid remains can be seen, while big game (e.g. red deer) is decreasing and in some layers is almost completely missing. This could indicate a somewhat different pattern of use of the cave by people during that period, in which other animals used it more often. Later in the early Holocene and on into the Mesolithic one finds a very different assemblage composed of small to medium-sized carnivores (mostly red fox), roe deer, marine mammals (dolphins), and a small number of other small animals (e.g. hedgehog) of which some remains have clear cut marks indicating human agency. Significantly, hare is absent from this assemblage. These data suggest a very specialized diet focused mostly on foxes and roe deer. Although relatively common, none of the dolphin remains have evidence of human activity, so the significance of their presence in the assemblage has yet to be determined. The Early Neolithic is characterized by the appearance of domestic taxa (mainly sheep and/or goat with occasional pig remains), indicating a dramatic shift in human diet. During the initial stages of the Early Neolithic remains of small to medium-sized carnivores (red fox in particular) can still be traced in the assemblage suggesting that certain elements of the Mesolithic tradition continue during the first Neolithic occupations at the cave. There is little evidence of the hunting of larger game (e.g. roe and red deer). These layers also revealed a few dog remains. In overlying Neolithic layers (Early, Middle, and Late Neolithic) the fauna is composed almost exclusively of sheep and/or goat remains. At the end of Neolithic and continuing into the Copper and Bronze Ages, other domestic taxa (pig and especially cattle) become more common.

The fossil cave of Šandalja II and the cave Ljubićeva pećina are located in Cretaceous limestones 4 and 13 km, respectively, to the east and northeast of the city of Pula. Although these sites today are located within a few kilometres of the coast, during the late glacial period (MIS 2), due to global regression of the sea, the sites were situated on the northern edge of the Great Adriatic Plain and the coastline was many kilometres to the south. Aim of this research was to examine, through detailed taxonomic and taphonomic analysis what were the main taphonomic agents of accumulation of birds remains, and do they change over time. A total of 1016 bird remains were identified (NISP - number of identified specimens). From the order Passeriformes, only the family Corvidae was analyzed ; other remains were only recorded as Passeriformes (NISP = 538). A total of 478 complete and fragmented bird bones were anatomically, taxonomically and taphonomically analyzed. Rich assemblages of bird remains have been found in Šandalja II (older assemblage: layers Cs – B/C and younger assemblage: layers Bd – Bg) and Ljubićeva pećina (trench B, two assemblages: “older”/ca. 15-16 cal BP and “younger”/ca. 10-13 cal BP). Following orders are represented: Podicipediformes, Pelecaniformes, Ciconiiformes, Anseriformes, Falconiformes, Galliformes, Gruiformes, Charadriiformes, Columbiformes, Strigiformes and Passeriformes. The avifauna from these sites indicates the existence of the various habitats in southern Istria during the late glacial period: aquatic, open, forest steppe, rocky, forest and mixed. The bird bone surfaces are generally well preserved and bear evidence of cut marks, burning, and gnawing. There are some weathering features, including eroded surfaces, fine line fractures, and slight root etching. The frequency of bone surface modifications does not vary dramatically by site or over time, with the exception of the unusually high frequency of burning in the “older” assemblage at Ljubićeva pećina as well as absence of gnawing marks in both assemblages from the same site (Figure 1.). The different taphonomic agents accumulated bird remains. Birds such as rock dove, raven, yellow-billed chough, red-billed chough, kestrel and owls probably roosted or nested in the caves or crevices near the caves and might have died naturally there, although some of them were prey of human or animal predators. Other species do not use caves and probably were brought there by humans or animal predators. Small carnivore gnaw marks are found on bones of falcons, ducks, hazel grouse, black grouse, great bustard, small bustard, and yellow-billed chough at Šandalja II. The relative abundance of the remains of small passerines is probably related to the activities of birds of prey (owls and falcons) that fed on them and regurgitated pellets under their roost and nest sites. Cut marks and to a lesser extent burned bones are evidence that humans used the birds. Some birds probably were hunted for food (e.g. ducks, grouses, partridges and bustards) but others might have been used not only for food, but also for other, symbolic purposes. Humans were important agents of accumulation of bird bones at both sites, which was expected since both caves are important archaeological sites.

Predmet istraživanja ovog rada su špiljski sedimenti istočnog profila kvadranta 8 Vele spile. Cilj rada je prikaz dosad provedenih geoarheoloških istraživanja.

U Veloj spili na otoku Korčuli nacrtani su svi dostupni stratigrafski profili glavne istražne sonde, te izdvojeni i opisani sedimentni slojevi. Uzeto je više od 40 uzoraka za različite laboratorijske analize: sedimentološke (granulometrijska analiza, mikroskopska analiza sastava stereoskopskim mikroskopom, morfometrijske analize, mikroskopiranje izbrusaka stijena, analiza sadržaja teške i lake mineralne frakcije), mineraloške (analize mineralnog sastava primjenom rendgenske difrakcije na prahu, određivanje kapaciteta kationske zamjene) i geokemijske (analiza sadržaja glavnih i sporednih elemenata, te elemenata u tragovima, analiza sadržaja ugljika i sumpora, određivanje udjela karbonata i udjela organske tvari, određivanje pH i električne vodljivosti). Na temelju tih analiza mogu se izdvojiti tri sedimentna paketa pleistocenskih naslaga: a) najniži i najstariji sedimentni paket naslaga - masivni slojevi krupnozrnatog vapnenačkog kršja bez ili s vrlo malo matriksa ; b) srednji sedimentni paket - tanji, lećasti pjeskovito-prahoviti šljunci nastali tijekom ljudskog boravka u špilji ; i c) gornji sedimentni paket - šljunkovito-pjeskoviti siltovi s povećanim sadržajem karbonatne komponente i s manje izraženim antropogenim utjecajem. Najviši sloj u stupu pripada holocenu tj. mezolitiku što dokazuju radiokarbonska mjerenja, te fosilni ostaci (mnoštvo ribljih kostiju, krhotine ljuštura morskih školjkaša i puževa, te kosti sitnijih sisavaca) kao odraz promijenjenih paleoekoloških odnosa (podizanje morske razine i promijenjeni klimatski uvjeti).

Vindija Cave contains important Middle and Early Upper Palaeolithic lithic and faunal assemblages associated with remains of Neandertals that span the period from ca. 45 – 25 ka. The association in level G1 of Neandertal remains (directly radiocarbon dated to ca. 29 ka) and Early Upper Palaeolithic artifacts (e.g. bone points, lithic bifacial point, and other Aurignacian-type lithics) is particularly significant for different models of the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition, and the artifact and hominin assemblages have been studied in detail in recent years. In this paper we present the first results of new zooarchaeological analyses of Vindija. We focus on the ungulate remains from the F and G Complexes at Vindija, and discuss the significance of our results for palaeoecological reconstructions, taphonomy, and hominin subsistence practices.

Pleistocene mammal fauna and flora from the localities Pećina na Brehu (northern Istria) and Marlera I and II (southern Istria) have been presented. After faunal and floral assemblages, the climatic conditions were in the southern part of Istria (Marlera) favorable. In northern Istria the faunal complexes of Pećina na Brehu show very little differences in the taxonomic composition from Marlera. For example, the arvicolids from Marlera site indicate that the eastern Adriatic coast was refugium for these and other animals during the Upper Pleistocene glaciation.

Pleistocene fauna, recovered from the cave deposits in Pećina na Brehu in Istria (Croatia) is presented. Remains of Ursus spelaeus are the main component, probably from individuals, who died in the cave during hibernation. Marmots and other carnivores also used the cave occasionally, but herbivore and birds remains probably represent the refuse of carnivore consumption.

Kvartarni period obilježen je izrazitim klimatskim oscilacijama. Izmjene glacijala i interglacijala, odnosno stadijala i interstadijala uzrokova le su nagle promjene u okolišu, a time i u sastavu životinjskih zajednica. U radu su predstavljeni rezultati detaljnih paleoekoloških i tafonomskih analiza ptičjih ostataka s četiriju špiljskih nalazišta na istočnoj jadranskoj obali koja su bogata ptičjim ostatcima i čije su naslage datirane u gornji pleistocen i/ili holocen (MIS 3 1). To su sljedeći lokaliteti: Marlera I, Šandalja II i Ljubićeva pećina u južnoj Istri te Vela spila na otoku Korčuli. Rezultati su interpretirani u vremenskom i prostornom ok viru : uspoređena je fosilna ptičja fauna iz istovremenih naslaga istraženih nalazišta smještenih na suprotnim krajevima Jadrana (sjeverozapadni i jugoistočni dio) te je uspoređena ukupna istražena avifauna različite starosti: MIS 3, MIS 2 i MIS 1. Iako se većina determiniranih vrsta može i danas vidjeti na istočnoj jadranskoj obali, u gornjopleistocenskoj avifauni prisutni s u arktički i sibirski faunistički elementi koji danas žive na sjeveru Europe ili u planinama. Holocenska avifauna sastojala se od vrsta koje i danas obitavaju na jadranskoj obali. Na svim su nalazištima primarni faktori akumulacije biogeni: mali grabežljivci, ptice grabljivice i/ili ljudi. Može se zaključiti da je tijekom gornjega pleistocena i početkom holocena jadranska obala obilovala različitim staništima te je bila pogodna za život raznovrsnim pticama. The Quaternary period is characterized by dramatic climate changes. Glacial - interglacial cycles as well as stadials and interstadials caused abrupt environmental changes that affected faunal communities and changed their compo sition. To make better our understanding of spatial and temporal environmental, as well as cultural changes, a vifaunal remains from four Late Pleistocene to Holocene (MIS 3 MIS 1) palaeontological and archaeological sites on the eastern Adriatic coast ar e taxonomically and taphonomically examined: Marlera I (NISP=100), Šandalja II (NISP=1936), Ljubićeva pećina (NISP=336), and Vela spila (NISP=601). The results are palaeoenviromentally, palaeoecologically and archaeozoologically interpreted. The Late Pleis tocene avifauna contained Arctic faunal elements, but the majority of the taxa can be found on the eastern Adriatic coast today. Early Holocene avifauna consisted of extant bird taxa of the eastern Adriatic coast, whether present as seasonal migrants or ye ar - round residents. Different taphonomic agents accumulated the bird bones, and bone surface modifications show that birds of prey, small carnivores, and humans helped accumulate these remains. Avifaunal assemblages from the eastern Adriatic coast indicate that a mosaic of habitats was present during the Late Pleistocene and beginning of the Holocene and that the Adriatic Plain supported a diverse and rich biome.

Master Erasmus Mundus em Quaternário e Pré-História Hijenska pećina, an Upper Pleistocene cave site, is located in the Plovunija quarry, north of Buje in Istria, Croatia. A detailed taxonomic, metric and taphonomic analysis of the faunal assemblage is presented in this work. Material consists of about 453 bones, bone fragments and teeth. A big portion of the remains belong to cave hyena (Crocuta crocuta spelaea) and the thesis will try to answer the question if Hijena cave was a hyena den or a natural trap as suggested in earlier works.