Sheremetyev I.S., Rozenfeld S.B. Landscape Changes in the Pleistocene-Holocene Transition and Range Dynamics of Large Herbivore Mammals of Northern Asia // Arid ecosystems. 2018. V. 24. № 4 (77). P. 19-28. | PDF

The paper deals with impacts of decreasing steppe and tundra areas in Northern Asia at the Pleistocene-Holocene transition on large herbivore mammals’ ranges. The relation of the specific characters’ complex of the herbivores to their landscape assignment was estimated. It was found that 17000-7000 years ago, in addition to mongolian gazelle, saiga and muskox, only the ranges of bighorn sheep, domestic sheep and goat ancestors and probably long-tailed goral could be decreased directly due to the late Quaternary landscape changes. The sika deer range extension may be explained by open landscape decreasing similarly to musk deer assigned only to forest landscape. Any significant range changes in roe deer, red deer, reindeer, moose, wild boar, steppe bison, mammoth, woolly rhinoceros and also in the domestic horse and cattle ancestors could not be directly conditioned by the landscape changes even if chronologically coincided with them.

Keywords: geographic range, global changes, habitat, steppe, herbivores, tundra.

DOI: 10.24411/1993-3916-2018-00031