Acta Musei Moraviae

Cave Bear from the Medvědí komín („Bear chimney“) in the Kateřinská Cave (Moravian Karst)

Kateřinská Cave, located in Suchý žleb in the northern part of Moravian Karst near Blansko (Czech Republic), is an important Pleistocene paleontological site. This study presents the analysis of osteological material of cave bears (Ursus ex gr. spelaeus) recovered from the Medvědí komín („Bear chimney“) in 1936 and stored in the Anthropos Institute of the Moravian Museum, Brno. The examined assemblage comprises 89 skeletal elements, including three crania and a partially preserved postcranial skeleton, representing at least five individuals. Morphological and metric data indicate that most remains belong to subadult and young adult individuals. Radiocarbon dating of a tooth sample from cranium No. 2 yielded an age of 27,894–27,405 cal BP (CRL-23_0843), although this result may be affected by prior conservation treatments. The specimens show morphological characteristics typical of Ursus ingressus, a derived mitochondrial lineage common in Central Europe. The absence of carnivore gnawing and the semiarticulated position of the cave bear remains in the Medvědí komín suggest accumulation in a natural karst trap rather than the result of predation. The Medvědí komín is currently inaccessible due to collapse, and additional material likely remains in situ. The assemblage may represent one of the youngest records of Ursus ingressus in the Moravian Karst and provides new data on the species’ late Pleistocene occurrence in Central Europe.