Acta Musei Moraviae

Barová Cave (Moravian Karst): results of paleontological research in the Medvědí chodba probe

Barová Cave is located in the central part of the Moravian Karst in the Josefovské Valley. Its entrance is situated on the right slope above the Křtinský stream at the foot of Krkavčí skála rock. The cave was hollowed out in Devonian limestone and it is the outflow part of the Rudické propadání – Býčí skála Cave System. Even since its discovery by A. Sobol in 1947, the cave has been known as an important paleontological site with well-preserved osteological remains of the Late Pleistocene fauna. The cave has been previously paleontologically investigated, however, this article summarizes the results of the current ongoing research (started in 2011). Specifically, the article deals with data obtained from paleontological research in the Medvědí chodba (Bear Corridor) probe. The Medvědí chodba (Bear Corridor) probe is one of six probes excavated in the inner part of the cave in sediments of the Late Pleistocene debris cone. During the research, the Medvědí chodba probe was divided into 5 sectors and a total of 4,336 pieces (mostly fragments) of animal bones were found in it. The majority of these bones came from the cave bear, more than 92 percent in total. In addition, bones of the wolf, cave hyena, cave lion, brown bear, lynx, wolverine and marten were found, while as for herbivores, bones of the mountain chamois, reindeer, woolly rhinoceros, mountain ibex and European red deer were discovered. Based on radiocarbon dating, the age of the found bones can be placed in the interval between 53,000 and 35,000 years BP (MIS 3). The significant dominance of cave bears bones is proof that the Barová cave served primarily as their wintering den in the mentioned period. The bones of newborns and older bear cubs prove that the cave was also used by female bears as a place to give birth to their cubs, and the found penis bones indicate the presence of males. The number of males present was slightly lower than the number of females. The most common period of mortality for cave bears appears to be during adolescence and early adulthood, but higher mortality has also been recorded for juvenile bears. The number of cave bears that survived to old age was probably low. Most cave bears presumably died of natural causes (insufficient fattening during the summer), but traces of predator teeth on bear bones indicate the possibility of occasional hunting of cave bears by cave lions, cave hyenas and perhaps even wolves. Cave hyenas and wolves probably used the Barová Cave as a den during the absence of cave bears, other carnivores presumably entered the cave only in an attempt to find food (for brown bears it is not ruled out that they used the cave for wintering). The very rarely found bones of ungulates are the remains of carnivores’ prey. The bones of reindeer, woolly rhinoceros, chamois and ibex indicate a rather open terrain and a colder and drier climate. However, deer is a taxon bound to a wetter forest environment and the woolly rhinoceros’ diet also included woody plants (alder, willow, conifers). The landscape of the central part of the Moravian Karst was therefore predominantly open, consisting of tundra and cold steppe, between 53,000 and 35,000 years BP, but on the other hand it must also have contained trees and shrubs.