NEW DATA ON THE CAMEL (CAMELUS CF. KNOBLOCHI NEHRING, 1901) FROM THE MIDDLE PLEISTOCENE (CHIBANIAN) OF WESTERN TRANSBAIKALIA (RUSSIA)

This paper is devoted to the morphological features of the humerus and forearm of a Middle Pleistocene (Chibanian) camel, previously not found in Western Transbaikalia. Against the background of all previous finds in Central Asia, represented mainly by hand and foot bones, fossils from the Selenga middle mountains (Ust-Kiran locality, Chikoy River valley) provide a rare opportunity to most fully outline the morphosculpture of the long tubular bones of the forelimb. Their morphological features indicate that they belonged to the camel Camelus cf. knoblochi, and their sizes indicate that it was significantly larger than the Pliocene and modern forms. It occupied various biotopes in the middle mountains, where foothill trains directed towards river valleys and intermountain depressions were widespread.

tylopods, Camelus knoblochi, mammoth fauna, Middle Pleistocene (Chibanian), Krivoyarskaya suite, Chikoy river, Ust-Kiran, Western Transbaikalia