Giant Hyena Pachycrocuta brevirostris (Hyaenidae, Carnivora) from the Lower Pleistocene of Taurida Cave, Crimea.

The dental remains of a giant hyena Pachycrocuta brevirostris (Gervais, 1850) from the Early Pleistocene locality of the Taurida cave (Crimea, Late Villafranchian, 1.8-1.5 Ma) are described. This species was a typical representative of the Villafranchian fauna of the Eastern Mediterranean. The Taurida cave was occasionally used by hyenas and other carnivorans as a den and retreat.

First Finding of Etruscan Bear (Ursus etruscus, Ursidae, Carnivora) in the Crimea (Taurida Cave, Early Pleistocene).

A fragment of a bear skull with partially preserved dentition is descibed from the Lower Pleistocene deposits of the Taurida cave (Crimea). The presence of P1-P3, the structure of P4, and sizes of the cheek teeth enable the identification of the specimen as Ursus etruscus Cuvier, 1823. The new find is the first in Crimea and the entire Russia and is of great interest due to rarity of this species in the Pleistocene of Eastern Europe.

The First Finding of the Late Miocene Baleen Whales of the Genus Zygiocetus (Cetotheriidae, Mysticeti) in Crimea (Melek-Chesme Locality, Kerch Peninsula).

Fragments of four Zygiocetus sp. whale skeletons from the Melek-Chesme locality at the Kerch Peninsula are described. This is the first finding of the representatives of this genus in Crimea.

Saber-Toothed Cats (Carnivora, Felidae, Machairodoninae) from the Lower Pleistocene of the Taurida Cave, Crimea.

This paper describes the maxillaries of adult specimens of saber-toothed cats Homotherium crenatidens (Fabrini, 1890) and Megantereon sp. from the Taurida Cave (Crimea, Late Villafranchian; age, 1.8-1.5 Ma). We discuss the morphometric variability in the morphology of the upper carnassials and the length of the С1-Р3 diastema.

Occurrence of the Giant Deer of the Genus Arvernoceros in Taurida Cave, Crimea.

The giant deer Arvernocerosverestchagini David, 1992, authochtonous species of the Early Pleistocene biota of North Black Sea coastal area, is discovered in Crimea. The giant deer was a member of fossil fauna of vertebrates from the Pleistocene deposits of Taurida karst cave. According to biochronological data, this fauna is dated to 1.8-1.5 Ma.

The Taurida Cave, a New Locality of Early Pleistocene Vertebrates in Crimea.

We describe a vertebrate assemblage from the Pleistocene deposits of the Taurida karst cave discovered in 2018 in central Crimea (Zuya village, Belogorsk raion). The assemblage is correlated with Late Villafranchian faunas of the Eastern Mediterranean and has an approximate age of 1.8-1.5 Ma.