THE NOZHII LOCALITY (<i>eastern Transbaikalia</i>): GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY

This article presents results of a multidisciplinary study of late Pleistocene deposits exposed at the newly discovered Nozhii locality in eastern Transbaikalia. New data on small mammals have filled a gap in the fossil record of the late Pleistocene faunas in the studied region. The faunal remnants originate from loessial deposits, which are rarely distributed in the region, where spore–pollen samples were collected. A rich, diverse faunal assemblage has been identified, and information on the paleoflora of one of the late Pleistocene ages has been obtained. The fauna is predominantly composed of species characteristic of open steppe landscapes: Ochotona dauurica, Marmota sibirica, Lasiopodomys brandti, Cricetulus barabensis, and Allactaga. The species composition, the quantitative ratio of taxa, and evidence on paleovegetation indicate that, during the existence of the vertebrate community at the Nozhii site, forest-steppes with open steppe landscapes were widespread along with patches of desertified areas and forb meadows as well as sparse forests with a herbaceous cover.