PALEOORNITHOLOGICAL REMAINS FROM SOME OF THE CAVES IN SLOVENIA PALEOORNITOLOŠKI OSTANKI IZ NEKATERIH JAM V SLOVENIJI VESNA MALEZ Izvleček UDK 568.4:551.442(497.12) Vesna Malez: Paleoornitološki ostanki iz nekaterih jam v Sloveniji Članek podaja rezultate novih paleoornitoloških raziskav iz petih slovenskih jam (Babja jama, Ciganska jama, Jama pod Herkovimi pečmi, Lukenjska jama, Županov spodmol). Določenih je bilo 8 družin, 13 rodov in 14 vrst (med temi jih je 5 pokazateljev hladnejše klime). Lovski plen pripada družinam Anatidae, Tetraonidae in Otididae. Ključne besede: paleontologija, Aves, paleolitik, Slovenija Abstract UDC 568.4:551.442(497.12) Vesna Malez: Paleoornithological remains from some of the caves in Slovenia Results of paleoornithological investigations from five caves of Slovenia (Babja jama. Ciganska jama. Jama pod Herkovimi pečmi, Lukenjska jama, Županov spodmol) are given in the paper. 8 families, 13 genera and 14 species were determined. Five of them are indicators of colder climate. The hunting birds belong to families Anatidae, Tetraonidae and Otididae. Key words: paleonthology, cave fauna, Aves, palaeolithic, Slovenia Address - Naslov Dr. Vesna Malez Zavod za paleontologiju i geologiju kvartara Hrvatske akademije znanosti i umjetnosti A. Kovačiča 5/II 10000 Zagreb Croatia Slovenia is rich in cave localities in which the Pleistocene and Holocene deposits have been researched. Abundant osteological material has been collected and numerous animal assemblages have been determined, as well as several avifaunal species. Up to now some of the avifaunal material has been taxonomically determined from the Paleolithic localities: Betalov spodmol near Postojna (Rakovec, 1959) - 6 species; Potočka zijalka on Olševa (Brodar & Brodar, 1983) - 1 species; Roška špilja near Divača (Škocjan) - 10 species; and Divje babe I in the Idrijca valley - 8 species. From the Neolithic locality Ajdovska jama near Nemška vas (Krško area) - 5 bird species have been determined (Malez, in press). Previous determinations of the Pleistocene ornithological material show that 21 bird species inhabited the mentioned caves. Now, five more sites join the Paleolithic localities with their avifaunal osteological material and new bird species (Table I.). In Babja jama near Dob, in the neighbourhood of Domžale, beside numerous animal bones (Pohar, 1985) some avifaunal material has been collected. Skeletal bird remains belong to the whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus), willow grouse (Lagopus lagopus) and blackbird (Turdus menila). From the Ciganska jama near Željne (Kočevje) two species of the same genus have been determined, which belong to the family Tetraonidae, and they are willow grouse and ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus and Lagopus mutus) (Pohar, 1992). All ornithological remains from the Jama pod Herkovimi pečmi near Radlje ob Dravi (Pohar, 1981) belong to the family Tetraonidae, and they are willow grouse (Lagopus lagopus), ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus), capercailzie (Tetrao urogallus) and black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix). Six bird bones from the Lukenjska jama near Novo mesto (Pohar, 1983) belong to different families: Anatidae - mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Accipitridae - golden eagle (Aquila chtysaetos), Falconidae - hobby (Falco subbuteo), Tetraonidae - willow grouse (Lagopus lagopus), Laniidae - great grey shrike (Lantus excubitor) and Corvidae - raven (Corvus corax). Somewhat more abundant bird skeletal remins (12 bones) were excavated from the C and D layers of the Paleolithic locality Županov spodmol near Sajevče (Postojna) (Brodar & Osole, 1979). The ornithological remains are represented by five species: ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus), black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix), common partridge (Perdvc perdix), great bustard (Otis tarda) and red- LOCALITY < -J O < s S s s ■o < Q u -> O < -) a. a. FAMILIES, GENERA,SPECIES S < v> < < o S -) O - U) > V) Q. > -) O < O z z -1 ^ < ič lU < CO o 2 C a. < < U) 3 CO Ü -» I J ■N A N AT I D A E CYQNUS CYGNUS m ANAS PL ATYR HYNCHOS ■ ACCIPITRIDAE AOUILA CHYSAETOS ■ F ALCONIDAE FALCO SUBBUTEO ■ TETRAONID AE LAGOPUS LAGOPUS m ■ ■ ■ LAGOPUS MUTUS ■ ■ ■ TET RAO UROGALLUS ■ LVRURUS TETRIX ■ ■ PERDIX PERDIX ■ OTIDIDAE 0 Tl 3 TA R D A ■ TURDIDAE TUR DUS MERULA m L ANIIDID A E LANIUS EXCUBITOR ■ C O R V I D A E PYRRHOCORAX PYfiRHOCORAX ■ CORVUS CORAX ■ Table 1. RECENT BIOTOPES CLIMATIC ZONES M O Ul OC Ul o UJ z K s o OL Ul * ... o z in » < o Z _ Ul N FAMILIES, GEN ER A, SPECIES Q Ul Z < Ul E < u. O Ul C < t-o m < o N -1 < z s Ul Ul t-< Z U. o c Z >- Q oc < » Ul a. K u t- Z U o (3 -Ul < a. Ul o o K o K > O oc cc i 1- ta z < (0 a O. A NATIDAE CYGNU S CYGNUS ■ • ANAS PLATYRHYNCHOS ■ • ▲ ACCIPIT RID AE AQIL A CHRYSAET OS ■ • F ALCONID AE FALCO SUBBUTEO ■ • TETRAONIDAB LAGOPUS LAGOPUS ■ • • ' ▲ LAGOPUS MUTUS ■ • A TETRAO UROGALLUS ■ • A LYRURUS TETRIX ■ • A PEHDIX PERDIX ■ • A OTIDIDAE OTIS TARDA ■ • A TURDIDAE T URDUS MERULA ■ • L ANIIO AE LANIUS EXCBITOR ■ • CORVIDAE PYRRHOCORAX PYRRHOCORAX ■ • CORVUS CORAX ■ • Table 2. billed chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocomx), and they belong to three families -Tetraonidae, Otididae and Corvidae. Some bird species show the existence of the different ecological niches in the Paleolithic. The majority of the caves are surrounded by different biotopes (water medium-environment - rivers, ponds, swamps; opern areas - grassy slopes, lowlands and glades; forests - decidious trees and coniferous; rocky areas) (Table II.). Thus, the nearness of the water biotope suggest two bird species: whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) and mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). The open environment (meadows, glades, etc.) were inhabited by willow grouse (Lagopus lagopus), common partridge (Perdix perdix) and great bustard (Otis tarda). The characteristic forest biotope suggest three bird species: capercailzie (Tetrao urogallus), black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) and hobby (Falco subbuteo). Four birds show the existence of the rocky areas in the neighbourhood of the cave, and they are: golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus), red-billed chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) and raven (Corvus corax). The birds which are not strictly connected to a particular biotope or often inhabite the border zones between two biotopes (forest - meadow, rocks -forest) are: blackbird (Turdus merual) and great grey shrike (Lantus excubitor). Single bird species are significant climate indicators, which show the climate changes during the sedimentation of the Paleolithic depostis (Table II.). Thus, some birds are representatives of the cold climatic areas - tundra, and boreal climate, and high-alpine climate. Although rare, these cold-climate representatives are very significant, and they are: whooper swan (Cygnus Cygnus cygnus (Linne) Anas platyrhynchos (Linne) Aquila chrysaetos (Linne) Falco subbuteo (Linne) Lagopus lagopus (Linne) Lagopus mutus (Montin) Tetrao urogallus (Linne) Lyrurus tetrix (Linne) Perdix perdix (Linne) Otis tarda (Linne) Turdus merula (Linne) Lanius excubitor (Linne) Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax (Linne) Corvus corax (Linne) - Whooper swan - žutokljuni labud - Mallard - divlja patka - Golden eagle - suri orao - Hobby - soko grlaš - Willow grouse - močvarna snježna jarebica - Ptarmigan - alpska snježna jarebica - Capercailzie - veliki tetrijeb - Black grouse - mali tetrijeb - Common partridge - trčka - Great bustard - veliki potrk - Blackbird - crni kos - Great grey shrike - veliki svračak - Red-billed chough - Raven - gavran Table 3. Descriptions of species, authors, English and Croate names of birds. cygnus), mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), willow grouse (Lagopus lagopus), ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus) and red-billed chough (Pynhocorax pyrrhocorax). The only representative of the steppe climate zone is great bustard (Otis tarda). The most numerous bird species (8) suggest the temperate climate: golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), hobby (Falco subbuteo), capercailzie (Tetrao urogallus), black grouse (Lynirus tetrix), common partridge (Perdix perdix), blackbird (Turdus merula), great grey shrike (Lanius excubitor) and raven (Corvus corax). Particular bird species had great importance in the Paleolithic inhabitant diet (Table IL). This could be seen from the relative number of the skeletal remains of the so-called hunting birds, which are represented by eight species: whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus), mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), willow grouse (Lagopus lagopus), ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus), capercailzie (Tetrao urogallus), black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix), common partridge (Perdix perdix) and great bustard (Otis tarda). At the end it can be concluded that the determination of the bird skeletal remains from five Slovenian Paleolithic localities gives the following results: - 8 families, with 13 genera and 14 species have been determined; - all ecosystems are represented with almost equal numbers of the bird species; - the important indicators of the colder climatic conditions are represented with 5 species; - the hunting birds belong to three families: Anatidae, Tetraonidae and Otididae. BIBLIOGRAPHY Brodar, S. & Brodar, M., 1983: Potočka zijalka visokoalpska postaja aurignacienskih lovcev,- Dela SAZU, 24/13, 1-213, Ljubljana. Brodar, M. & Osole, F., 1979: Nalazišta paleolitskog i mezolitskog doba u Sloveniji.- Praistorija, I, 135-157, Sarajevo. Malez, v., (in press): Fosilni avifaunski ostaci iz nekih spilja Slovenije.- 19 Mednarodna razstava mineralov in fosilov, 1991, Velenje. Pohar, V, 1981: Pleistocenska favna iz Jame pod Herkovimi pečmi.- Geologija, 24/2, 241-284, Ljubljana. Pohar, V, 1983: Poznoglacialna favna iz Lukenjske jame.- Geologija, 26, 71-107, Ljubljana. Pohar, V, 1985: Kvartarni sesalci iz Babje jame pri Dobu.- Razprave IV. razreda SAZU, XXVI, Zbornik Ivana Rakovca, 97-130, Ljubljana. Pohar, V, 1992: Mlajsewürmska favna iz Ciganske jame pri Željnah (Kočevje, južnovzhodna Slovenija).- Razprave IV. razreda SAZU, XXXIII, 147-187, Ljubljana. Rakovec, L, 1959: Kvartarna sesalska favna iz Betalovega spodmola pri Postojni.- Razprave IV. razreda SAZU, V, 289-348, Ljubljana. PALEOORNITOLOŠKI OSTANKI IZ NEKATERIH JAM V SLOVENIJI Povzetek V članku so prikazani rezultati novih paleoornitoloških raziskav iz petih slovenskih jam - paleolitskih postaj: Babje jame, Ciganske jame, Jame pod Herkovimi pečmi, Lukenjske jame in Županovega spodmola. Do sedaj so bili iz Slovenije znani ptičji ostanki iz 4 paleolitskih postaj, in sicer vsega skupaj 21 vrst. Z novimi raziskavami je bilo določenih 8 družin, 13 rodov in 14 vrst. Med njimi jih je 5 pokazateljev hladnejše klime, enakomerno pa so zastopani predstavniki vseh ekosistemov. Lovski plen pripada dražinam Anatidae, Tetraonidae in Otididae.