Stratigraphy and lithology of the loess deposits in eastern Srem, Serbia

Eolian loess sediments in the eastern Srem area, the youngest Pleistocene deposits, occur either as a loess plateau, or as a slope-type of loess, formed on the slopes of the Fruška Gora mountain. Lithological, sedimentological, and mineralogical characteristics of these sediments, which were studied from several common clay deposits and boreholes, demonstrated differences between them and the underlying pre-loess sediments, and supported the stratigraphic division of the Quaternary sediments

A LATE PLEISTOCENE RODENT FAUNA (MAMMALIA: RODENTIA) FROM HADŽI PRODANOVA CAVE NEAR IVANJICA (WESTERN SERBIA)

Hadži Prodanova Cave in western Serbia is a multilayered site which, in addition to Palaeolithic tools, has yielded a relatively rich fauna of small and large vertebrates. In this paper the rodent fauna from this site is described. In total, 13 species of rodents have been found: Spermophilus cf. citelloides, Sicista subtilis, Mesocricetus newtoni, Arvicola cf. terrestris, Chionomys nivalis, Microtus arvalis/agrestis, Microtus subterraneus, Clethrionomys glareolus, Apodemus sylvaticus, Apodemus cf. uralensis, Spalax sp., Muscardinus avellanarius. This fauna has a mixed character and includes species of both open and forest habitats, the former being more numerous. According to its overall composition, it is tentatively ascribed to a relatively mild and wet period of the Last Glacial, probably MIS 3

Late Pleistocene voles (Arvicolinae, Rodentia) from the Baranica Cave (Serbia)

Baranica is a cave system situated in the south-eastern part of Serbia, four kilometers south to Knjazevac, on the right bank of the Trgoviski Timok. The investigations in Baranica were conducted from 1994 to 1997 by the Faculty of Philosophy from Belgrade and the National Museum of Knjazevac. Four geological layers of Quaternary age were recovered. The abundance of remains of both large and small mammals was noticed in the early phase of the research. In this paper, the remains of eight vole species are described: Arvicola terrestris (Linnaeus, 1758), Chionomys nivalis (Martins, 1842), Microtus (Microtus) arvalis (Pallas, 1778) and Microtus (Microtus) agrestis (Linnaeus, 1761), Microtus (Stenocranius) gregalis (Pallas, 1779), Microtus (Terricola) subterraneus (de Selys-Longchamps, 1836), Clethrionomys glareolus (Schreber, 1780) and Lagurus lagurus (Pallas, 1773). Among them, steppe and open area inhabitants prevail. Based on the evolutionary level and dimensions of the Arvicola terrestris molars, as well as the overall characteristics of the fauna, it was concluded that the deposits were formed in the last glacial period of the Late Pleistocene. These conclusions are rather consistent with the absolute dating of large mammal bones (23.520 +/- 110 B. P. for Layer 2 and 35.780 +/- 320 B.P. for Layer 4)

Late Pleistocene Squamate Reptiles from the Baranica Cave near Knjaževac (Eastern Serbia)

The Late Pleistocene layers (2-4) of the Baranica Cave near Knjaževac (Eastern Serbia) contain rich and diverse vertebrate fauna, as well as several Palaeolithic artefacts. The squamate reptile fauna contains three lizard and six ophidian (snakes) taxa (Lacerta agilis, Lacertidae indet., Anguis fragilis, Zamenis cf. longissimus, Coronella austriaca, Coronella cf. austriaca, cf. Natrix sp., Vipera cf. berus, Vipera sp.). This is only the second of Late Pleistocene herpetofauna described from Serbia. It consists of the forms mainly characteristic for cold and temperate semi-open regions. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 176015 and Grant no. 177023

Quaternary tectonic and depositional evolution of eastern Srem (northwest Serbia)

The area of eastern Srem is situated in the southern periphery of the Pannonian basin. Its depositional evolution during the Neogene and the Quaternary has been controlled by tectonic processes. Miocene extensional subsidence was followed by the Pliocene-Quaternary inversion of the basin. The latter was accomplished as the result of replacement of the tensile by the compressive stress field. Since the Late Neogene, the regional tectonic activity has been controlled by compressive stress produced by the northnortheastern propagation of the Adria microplate. In the compressive NE-SW-oriented stress field, the recent structural plan of the Pannonian basin and its wider environment, including its southern periphery, was reactivated. The youngest tectonic deformations are characterized by positive and negative vertical motions of large intrabasinal segments and basinal periphery, resulting in the final inversion of the basin. The effects of the basinal inversion can be recognized in genetic features of Quaternary sediments and geomorphological characteristics of the relief. Sources of data used for the interpretation of the Quaternary tectonic activity in the area of eastern Srem are of geological, geomorphological, thermochronological, and geophysical character. The positions of prominent fault structures have been ascertained by remote sensing, interpretations of available geophysical cross-sections, and using the field data. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 176015

Stratigraphic characteristics of quaternary deposits on the left bank of the Sava River near Belgrade

Quaternary deposits on the banks of the Sava River in the Belgrade area have a significant thickness and they are represented by genetically different formations. The data about these sediments were obtained by exploration of two relatively shallow boreholes, RB 47/P-1 and RB 53/P-1, located on the left bank of the Sava River. Two genetic entities are distinguished: the lacustrine-palustrine deposits of Plio-Pleistocene age and alluvial deposits of Pleistocene and Holocene age. Deposits of the Plio-Pleistocene are clearly different, both lithologically and palaeontologically, from the overlying alluvial deposits. Lithologically similar fluvial deposits of the Pleistocene and Holocene age were distinguished according to their palaeontological characteristics, particulary by the presence of bivalve genera Corbicula and Dreissena. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 176015 and Grant no. 177023

Late pleistocene rodents (mammalia: rodentia) from the baranica cave near Knjazevac (Eastern Serbia): systematics and palaeoecology

Baranica is a cave in the Balkan mountain range in the eastern part of Serbia. It contains four layers of sediments of Quaternary age. The Upper Pleistocene deposits (layers 2-4) have yielded a rich and diverse assemblage of vertebrate fauna, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and small and large mammals. In this work, preliminary results of a study of the rodent fauna from the Upper Pleistocene deposits of the Baranica Cave (Knjazevac, eastern Serbia) are presented. The fossil material comes from the 1995 archaeological excavation. The remains of 10 rodent species are described herein: Spermophilus cf. citelloides, Castor fiber, Sicista subtilis, Cricetulus migratorius, Cricetus cricetus, Mesocricetus newtoni, Apodemus ex gr. sylvaticus-flavicollis, Spalax leucodon, Dryomys nitedula, and Muscardinus avellanarius. Along with eight vole species, this makes altogether 18 species of rodents found in this locality. Both layers 2 and 4 (layer 3 is very poor in fossils) have yielded a rodent fauna typical for the cold periods of the Late Pleistocene on the Balkan Peninsula, with a prevalence of open and steppe inhabitants, but some forest dwellers were also present. The assemblages from these layers are similar, but there are some differences in the composition of the fauna, which may indicate a slight shift towards drier conditions. They have also been compared to rodent associations from some Serbian and Bulgarian localities of the same age and their similarities and differences are discussed

Neanderthal settlement of the Central Balkans during MIS 5: Evidence from Pešturina Cave, Serbia

Recent research in the southern Central Balkans has resulted in the discovery of the first Middle Paleolithic sites in this region. Systematic excavations of Velika and Mala Balanica, and Pešturina (southern Serbia) revealed assemblages of Middle Paleolithic artifacts associated with hominin fossils and animal bones. This paper focuses on Pešturina Layer 4, radiometrically and biostratigraphically dated to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5, which yielded traces of temporary hunting camps. The remains of large ungulate prey are associated with predominantly Quina-type artifacts made of quartz. Artifacts from Pešturina Cave have no parallels at Mousterian sites in the Balkans but are rather similar to the Central European Charentian, which demonstrates that this cultural unit was widespread during MIS 5, not only in the southern Pannonian Basin but also in the Central Balkans. The position of the site – on the outskirts of the known spread of the Quina model of techno-economic behavior during MIS 5 – raises several questions related to population movements, residential mobility, and technological variability in the early Middle Paleolithic of Central and Southeast Europe