Larger Owls (Aves: Strigidae) from the Lower Pleistocene of Crimea

This paper describes large owls from the Lower Pleistocene of the Taurida Cave in Crimea, which are represented by three species. A series of postcranial skeletal elements is assigned to the tawny owl (Strix aluco)-this is the oldest find of this modern species. A fragmentary tarsometatarsus and femur represent a larger form-the fossil species Strix intermedia Jánossy, 1972, known mainly from the Middle Pleistocene of Western and Central Europe. The coexistence of S. aluco and S. intermedia within one fauna is shown for the first time and confirms the validity of S. intermedia. Furthermore, a new fossil species, Asio pythiotus sp. nov., is described based on a tarsometatarsus, morphologically similar to the long-eared owl (A. otus), but noticeably larger.