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The big cats of the fossil site Château Breccia Northern Section (Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy, France): Stratigraphy, palaeoenvironment, ethology and biochronological dating
ARGANT, Alain
;
ARGANT, Jacqueline
;
JEANNET, Marcel
;
ERBAJEVA, Margarita
2007
The Château site, known since 1863, was rediscovered in 1968 and new excavations were carried out there between 1997 and 2006. Bear remains largely dominated the Château Breccia fossil assemblage, but the characteristic peculiarity of this site was the abundance of big cats. The old karstic system, including the Château Breccia fossil site, has been completely destroyed, primarily by erosion, but later by quarrying. During the Pleistocene the cave served as hibernation dens for bears. This was most likely also the birthplace for bear cubs. These bear cubs, whether alive or dead, could be a significant source of food for big cats during the winter. The stratigraphy of the infill (Northern Sec...
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