Small Vertebrates from the Pleistocene Sediments of the East Chamber of Denisova Cave, Northwestern Altai Mountains

The composition of small vertebrate remains found in the Pleistocene deposits of the East Chamber of Denisova Cave indicates that throughout the history of sedimentation, biotopes in the vicinity of the cave remained highly mosaic. Woodlands alternated with areas covered by meadow and steppe vegetation. Climate fluctuations led to changes in the ratio of areas occupied by different natural complexes, but there was no fundamental restructuring of the landscape and plant associations. It is shown that changes in the composition of fossil assemblages at various levels correlate with climate dynamics reflected by the stages of the Marine isotope scale.