Transition of Small Mammals from Live Elements of the Biocenoses to a Subfossil State

Abstract

A wide range of problems arising during paleoreconstructions of small mammal communities and individual animal characteristics is reviewed. The patterns of transformation and information loss at the stages of the transition of small mammals from live elements of biocenoses to a subfossil condition through the stage of prey of birds-myophages are discussed. A literature analysis shows the capacities and limitations of modern methods for reconstructing the sizes, ages, and diets of small mammals based on their molars. The digestive secretions of owls that affect the morphological and size parameters of the remains of the small mammals they consume are discussed. Particular attention is paid to the processes in which animal bone remains become part of the deposits and are transformed to subfossils. Transformations of the characteristics of small mammalian communities and the intraspecific structure of species as selective prey to raptors are shown. The importance of considering the differentiated loss of bone remains of different sizes that occurs during their digestion and dispersion in deposits is demonstrated.