The remains of lagomorphs unknown to science were found in Primorye

The age of the remains of ancient pikas is estimated at 10 to 51 thousand years.

Pikas (Ochotona) are mammals from

order Lagomorpha, close relativesan ordinary hare, resembling large hamsters in appearance. Another name is hay stands. In prehistoric times, there were more than 15 genera of the vast pika family, but to this day only a single genus remains.

Scientific discovery made in a limestone caveSukhaya, located a few kilometers from the village of Barabash. The remains of ancient pikas were collected from the upper and lower layers of sediments located at the far end of the 21 meter long cave. Analysis of the extracted bones and teeth in the laboratory showed that they do not belong to any of the species of pikas known to science.

All representatives of fossil genera of pikas are extinctback at the beginning of the Pleistocene (about a million years ago). In this regard, the greatest interest is not even the description of three new species and a new endemic genus of Pischukhovs, but their location in the late Pleistocene layers of cave deposits (126 thousand years ago - 11.7 thousand years ago). 

Mikhail Tiunov, Doctor of Biological Sciences

The find also suggests thatpaleogeographic and climatic conditions of the south of Primorye in the late Pleistocene not only allowed a number of species that became extinct in other territories to exist for a longer time, but also, probably, contributed to speciation.

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