Morphological and genetic identification and isotopic study of the hair of a cave lion (Panthera spelaea Goldfuss, 1810) from the Malyi Anyui River (Chukotka, Russia)

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dc.contributor.authorChernova, OFen_AU
dc.contributor.authorKirillova, IVen_AU
dc.contributor.authorShapiro, Ben_AU
dc.contributor.authorShidlovskiy, FKen_AU
dc.contributor.authorSoares, AERen_AU
dc.contributor.authorLevchenko, VAen_AU
dc.contributor.authorBertuch, Fen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2017-06-27T00:06:49Zen_AU
dc.date.available2017-06-27T00:06:49Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2016-06-15en_AU
dc.date.statistics2017-06-26en_AU
dc.description.abstractWe present the first detailed analyses of the preserved hair of a cave lion (Panthera spelaea Goldfuss, 1810). The hair was found in association with a skeleton that was recovered recently from perennially frozen Pleistocene sediments in the lower reaches of the Malyi Anyui River (Chukotka, Russia). We extract mitochondrial DNA from the hair to confirm its taxonomic identity, and perform detailed morphological analyses of the color and structure of the hair using light optical microscopy and SEM. In addition, we compare the cave lion hair to hair taken from the back and mane of an African lion. We find that cave lion hair is similar but not identical to that of the present-day lion. In addition to slightly different coloration, cave lions had a very thick and dense undercoat comprising closed and compressed wavy downy hair with a medulla. In addition, while the microstructures of the medulla and cortex of cave lion hair are similar in extinct and living lions, the cuticular scales of cave lion hair are higher than those in living lions, suggesting that cave lion hair is stronger and more robust than that of living lions. We hypothesize that the differences between cave lion hair and present-day lion hair may be due to adaptations of cave lions to the harsh climatic and environmental conditions of the Pleistocene Ice Ages. © 2016, Elsevier Ltd.en_AU
dc.identifier.citationChernova, O. F., Kirillova, I. V., Shapiro, B., Shidlovskiy, F. K., Soares, A. E. R., Levchenko, V. A., & Bertuch, F. (2016). Morphological and genetic identification and isotopic study of the hair of a cave lion (Panthera spelaea Goldfuss, 1810) from the Malyi Anyui River (Chukotka, Russia). Quaternary Science Reviews, 142, 61-73. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.04.018en_AU
dc.identifier.govdoc8268en_AU
dc.identifier.issn0277-3791en_AU
dc.identifier.journaltitleQuaternary Science Reviewsen_AU
dc.identifier.pagination61-73en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.04.018en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/8801en_AU
dc.identifier.volume142en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherElsevieren_AU
dc.subjectIsotopesen_AU
dc.subjectCavesen_AU
dc.subjectSkeletonen_AU
dc.subjectMorphological changesen_AU
dc.subjectHairen_AU
dc.subjectPleistocene epochen_AU
dc.titleMorphological and genetic identification and isotopic study of the hair of a cave lion (Panthera spelaea Goldfuss, 1810) from the Malyi Anyui River (Chukotka, Russia)en_AU
dc.typeJournal Articleen_AU
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