Southern Siberia Research Articles

Fauna and landscapes of the Southern Minusinsk basin (southern Siberia) at the end of the late pleistocene

The paleolandscapes of the first half of MIS 2 or the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) were reconstructed based on the study of the first mammoth fauna locality in the Abakan River valley and comparison with other localities in the South Minusinsk Basin. The sediments in the geological section of Uytag are represented by interlayers of silts, underlain and overlain by sandstone rock slack fragment, interpreted as weakly eroded deluvium. The study of the Uytag locality made it possible to clarify the time and range of distribution in southern Siberia of some mammal species Ovis ammon, Equus ferus, Marmota baibacina, Sicista subtilis, Lagurus lagurus and Microtus gregalis, as well as Pleistocene bird Aquila chrysaetos. The age of the locality is confirmed by radiocarbon dating. The species composition of the fauna is similar to other localities in the region of this age. All known localities and single finds of faunal remains indicate a wide development of open steppe landscapes in the South Minusinsk Basin during the LGM.

Large non-karst caves of the Altai-Sayan mountain region: morphology and genesis

In the Altai-Sayan mountain region, located in southern Siberia, there are a number of caves developed in rocks in which karst processes are impossible to occur. In East Sayan, these are the Big Oreshnaya and Dudinskaya caves, the total length of which is more than 50 km and 35 km, respectively. Within the Altai Mountains, these are the Altaiskaya and Kek-Tash caves with a total length of 4.7 and 3.2 km, respectively. Mapping of the listed caves revealed that the morphology of their passages and the general structure differ significantly from those of caves in carbonate rocks. The passages have a flattened shape in cross section. Their width is usually meters and tens of meters, vertical extension is tens and hundreds of meters, and lateral extension is hundreds of meters. In general, the pattern of the passages is arranged in a box-like structure, where the pasages fit into a system of disjoint extended subvertical planes with rare short subvertical planes connecting them. The structure of the passages of the studied caves resembles the structure of karst caves, rotated vertically by 90°. The main directions of the passages there are not aligned in subhorizontal planes, but in subvertical ones. The revealed structure corresponds to the geometry of the structural pattern of Late Cenozoic fault systems formed as a result of subhorizontal compression. Signs of abundant argillization (alteration of the initial substance by hydrothermal processes and its replacement by newly formed clay minerals) were found in the studied caves. The formation mechanism of the studied caves is offered: removal of the substrate argillized by hydrothermal processes along the fault zones, by groundwater without significant participation of karst processes.

Genetic aspects of lactase deficiency in indigenous populations of Siberia.

The ability to metabolize lactose in adulthood is associated with the persistence of lactase enzyme activity. In European populations, lactase persistence is determined mainly by the presence of the rs4988235-T variant in the MCM6 gene, which increases the expression of the LCT gene, encoding lactase. The highest rates of lactase persistence are characteristic of Europeans, and the lowest rates are found in East Asian populations. Analysis of published data on the distribution of the hypolactasia-associated variant rs4988235-C in the populations of Central Asia and Siberia showed that the frequency of this variant increases in the northeastern direction. The frequency of this allele is 87 % in Central Asia, 90.6 % in Southern Siberia, and 92.9 % in Northeastern Siberia. Consequently, the ability of the population to metabolize lactose decreases in the same geographical direction. The analysis of paleogenomic data has shown that the higher frequency of the rs4988235-T allele in populations of Central Asia and Southern Siberia is associated with the eastward spread of ancient populations of the Eastern European steppes, starting from the Bronze Age. The results of polymorphism analysis of exons and adjacent introns of the MCM6 and LCT genes in indigenous populations of Siberia indicate the possibility that polymorphic variants may potentially be related to lactose metabolism exist in East Asian populations. In East Asian populations, including Siberian ethnic groups, a ~26.5 thousand nucleotide pairs long region of the MCM6 gene, including a combination of the rs4988285-A, rs2070069-G, rs3087353-T, and rs2070068-A alleles, was found. The rs4988285 and rs2070069 loci are located in the enhancer region that regulates the activity of the LCT gene. Analysis of paleogenomic sequences showed that the genomes of Denisovans and Neanderthals are characterized by the above combination of alleles of the MCM6 gene. Thus, the haplotype discovered appears to be archaic. It could have been inherited from a common ancestor of modern humans, Neanderthals, and Denisovans, or it could have been acquired by hybridization with Denisovans or Neanderthals. The data obtained indicate a possible functional significance of archaic variants of the MCM6 gene.

Parasites provide evidence for fish consumption among Iron Age Siberian pastoralists

The subsistence economies of prehistoric pastoralists of the Eurasian steppes have long been viewed through an oversimplified model of reliance on domesticated animals. This conceptualization has begun to shift dramatically through the introduction of scientific analyses, pivoting towards an evidence-based interpretation of economic flexibility and adaptive heterogeneity. Here we provide insights into the dietary practices of Iron Age pastoralists in Siberia through an archaeoparasitological analysis. Soil samples from the Tunnug 1 site in southern Siberia reveal the presence of helminth eggs of Taenia sp. (likely), Trichuris sp., and Dibothriocephalus sp. This indicates that the diet of the analysed prehistoric population might have included beef and did include freshwater fish, occasionally consumed in undercooked or raw form. Despite the primary reliance on pastoralism and possibly small-scale millet agriculture, these populations engaged in diverse dietary practices, including fish consumption. Additionally, the presence of Trichuris sp. eggs points to poor sanitary conditions, possible consumption of contaminated plant foods, and the contamination of drinking water with feces. By providing direct evidence of dietary habits, archaeoparasitology complements isotopic analyses and contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the subsistence strategies.

A spectral cavalcade: Early Iron Age horse sacrifice at a royal tomb in southern Siberia

Abstract Horses began to feature prominently in funerary contexts in southern Siberia in the mid-second millennium BC, yet little is known about the use of these animals prior to the emergence of vibrant horse-riding groups in the first millennium BC. Here, the authors present the results of excavations at the late-ninth-century BC tomb of Tunnug 1 in Tuva, where the deposition of the remains of at least 18 horses and one human is reminiscent of sacrificial spectral riders described in fifth-century Scythian funerary rituals by Herodotus. The discovery of items of tack further reveals connections to the earliest horse cultures of Mongolia.

CHİNESE ZİTHER SE İN ANCİENT AND TRADİTİONAL MUSİCAL AND İNSTRUMENTAL CULTURES OF TURKİC, MONGOLİAN AND TUNGUSKA-MANCHU ETHNİC GROUPS

The relevance of this study is conditioned by the dynamic development of the guzheng zither of medieval and folk instruments of Inner Mongolia, Manchuria (North and North-East China), Mongolia, the Far East and Southern Siberia (Russian Federation), the original prototype of which is one of the oldest string plucked instruments in China – the se zither (瑟). The purpose of the study was to investigate the design features and tuning methods of se zither (瑟). A system of scientific research methods was used, namely organological analysis, comparison, deduction, and abstraction. As a result of the study, it was found that the se zither (瑟) differs from the classical Chinese zither qín (琴). Given the study of historical and archaeological sources of the 7th – 2nd centuries BCE, the oldest area of distribution of the xie zither was found within the ancient kingdom of Chu (6th – early 2nd century BCE), whose population was ethnically different from the Huaxia Chinese, and its modification, the zheng zither (箏), during the Qin dynasty (771 – 221 BCE). In addition, the ways of its infiltration into the medieval instrumentation of the ancient peoples of these regions of Central and South-East Asia were determined. The shape, design features, and the method of tuning with movable stands have established the genetic connection of this type of zither with ancient and traditional instruments of Turkic and Mongolian ethnic groups and its infiltration into the medieval court instruments of the Tunguska-Manchu.

Intergroup variability of the khakas based on non-metric cranial traits data

Introduction. The formation of the gene pool of modern Khakas people occurred through the interaction of various groups of ancient inhabitants of the Minusinsk Basin. This article is focused on the inter-group analysis of craniological series representing different Khakassian subethnic groups. Materials and Methods. The cranial series of the Kachins, Koibals, Sagais, and Beltirs was studied using the battery of 36 cranial non-metric characteristics. The obtained data was compared with data on other populations of Southern and Western Siberia: Shors, Tuvans, Telengits, Selkups, Khants, and Mansis. The analysis of the biological diversity of populations was carried out using Smith's mean measure of divergence (MMD) followed by multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis. Results. The Kachins are the most distant from the other Khakas subethnic groups, forming a cluster with the Telengits and Tuvans. The Koibals and Beltirs were positioned quite close to the Shors. The Sagais occupied a separate position in the Khakas cluster, presumably due to a greater proportion of Europoid admixture compared to other Khakas groups. The pooled Khakas sample shares similar cranial non-metric characteristics with Turkic-speaking ethnic groups of Southern Siberia: Shors, Telengits, and Tuvans. Discussion. The nature of phenetic differentiation of the Khakas sub-ethnic groups presumably reveals their complex population history. The position of the Kachins outside the Khakas cluster based on non-metric traits resulted from specificity of their phenofund, which is also supported by molecular genetic data. The similarity in the phenofund of the Khakas groups to those of the Tuvans and Telengits may result from gene flow between Khakas populations and the peoples of Southern Siberia or/and from their common episodes in their ethnogenesis. The similarity between pooled Khakassian sample and the Shors presumably suggests involvement of common genetic components in the gene pools of these peoples, which is consistent with molecular genetic data. Conclusion. The correspondence of the obtained results with genetic data suggests the possibility of using cranial non-metric traits to identify genetic relationships between ancient populations in the absence of direct genetic information.

The structure of the gene pool of the southern tribal groups of tuvans

Introduction. The Y-gene pool of the southern Tuvan tribal groups – Soyan and Choodu – was first studied and their comparative analysis with representatives of Kyrgys (south-east of Tuva) and Oorzhak (west of Tuva) tribal groups was carried out. Purpose of the study: to determine the genetic status of the Soyan and Choodu tribal groups within the genetic landscape of the population of Southern Siberia. Materials and methods. The sample (total N=150) included samples from representatives of Oorzhak (N=42), Soyan (N=29), Kyrgys (N=46) and Choodu (N=33) tribal groups. The genotyping panel included 60 SNP-markers of Y-chromosome, characteristic of the populations of Northern Eurasia. Results. In the gene pools of studied tribal groups, 27 branches of 7 large haplogroups (C2, J2, N1, O, R1a, R1b) of Y-chromosome were identified. The main part of Choodu, Oorzhak, Soyan gene pools is represented by “North Eurasian” haplogroups (N1, Q) and Kyrgys gene pool is dominated by “East Eurasian” haplogroups C2 and O. The “West-Eurasian” haplogroups, mainly represented by subhaplogroup R1a1a-Z93, account for less than a quarter of the gene pool of all four studied groups, without revealing a clear geographical trend. In the genetic space of the population of Southern Siberia the Soyan, Choodu and Kyrgys, together with other of Tuvan tribal groups, formed the Tuvan-Tofalar claster. Tuvan-Tofalar, Altai and Khakass clusters indicate three sources of gene pool of the indigenous population of Southern Siberia. Maps of genetic distances showed greater similarity of the Soyan and Choodu with the rest of Tuvan tribal groups than with other populations of Southern Siberia. But the map of genetic distances from Kyrgyz reveals a different pattern: areal of genetically similar populations is more extensive, covering southern and southeastern Tuva, Mongolia and western Buryatia. Conclusion. The prevalence of “North-Eurasian” haplogroups in the gene pools of the studied Tuvan tribal groups and data of historians, ethnographers, linguists and geneticists suggest that their gene pool was formed at the Samoyed-Ket layer (VI-III centuries BC), and the accumulation of Central Asian component in the gene pool of Kyrgys occurred at a later stage of Kyrgys gene pool formation, presumably from the XII-XVIII centuries. Analysis of the gene pool of Tuvans through their tribal groups structure makes a significant contribution to the reconstruction of the ethnogenesis of Tuvan tribal groups, along with the data of anthropologists, historians, ethnographers and linguists.

Tamgas and Petroglyphs in the Kayrakkol and Karakungey Mountains (based on research materials 2022–2023)

The article presents the results of field research in South-Eastern Kazakhstan in 2022–2023. The authors introduce into scientific discourse information about seven locations of rock carvings with tamgas. Fifteen signs and the petroglyphs that accompany them are being published. The drawings are found on open vertical and horizontal planes of large and small rocky outcrops, on the tops of the southern, southwestern and southeastern slopes of the Kairakkol and Karakungey mountains. The rock carvings were made using two main techniques: picketing and surface carving. Sectors with tamgas are part of large clusters of petroglyphs of different periods, but at the same time they are located separately from other drawings. In one case, a similar sector was discovered on rocky planes located at a distance from placers of rock carvings. Figurative images are represented mainly by geometric symbols and their combinations. Diacritics – dots, lines, arcs and curls. The majority are tamgas, which find indirect analogies in the signs of the nomads of the Northern Black Sea region, Ustyurt, Southern Kazakhstan, Southern Siberia and Mongolia at the turn of eras. Among the petroglyphs that accompany the signs, there are images of snake-like and dragon-like figures, silhouette and outline figures of animals, some of which are made in an openwork manner. A new series of tamgas, identified in Eastern Semirechye, shows broad ethnocultural connections, the originality of the region’s population in the Hunno-Sarmatian period and the migration routes of nomads along the Dzungarian Alatau mountain system.

Comments on nomenclature of the order Rhododendro tomentosi-Laricetalia gmelinii and validation of the alliance Pino sibiricae-Laricion sibiricae

Zonal light-coniferous forests are widespread on long-frozen soils in Southern Siberia. Their individuality was first recognised in 1982 by Guinochet, who proposed a new suballiance for them, Pino-Laricenion sibiricae, within the alliance Vaccinio-Piceion. Later, attempts were made to raise the suballiance to the rank of an alliance. However, they failed to publish the name Pino sibiricae-Laricion sibiricae validly according to the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (ICPN). Therefore, the name is validated here after discussing the reasons for rejecting all previous proposals. The validity of the corrected and mutated syntaxon names Rhododendro tomentosi-Laricetalia gmelinii and Rhododendro tomentosi-Laricion gmelinii, which are related to the alliance Pino sibiricae-Laricion sibiricae, is confirmed. Corrections and mutations of two association names are also performed. Taxonomic reference: World Flora Online Plant List (WFO) (https://wfoplantlist.org/) [accessed 28 July 2024]. Abbreviations: ICPN = International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (Theurillat et al. 2021); WFO = World Flora Online Plant List.

Sedimentary provenance supports a mid-paleozoic tectonic connection between the Junggar and Altai terranes in central Asia

The provenance of Precambrian detritus in the Junggar and Altai terranes provides crucial constraints on the peri-Siberian accretionary tectonic evolution in the middle Paleozoic. The Precambrian detrital zircons have no coeval magmatic equivalents in the Junggar terrane but show U–Pb age spectra and εHf(t) values comparable to those in the Altai terrane. The correlations suggest that the old detrital materials in the Junggar and Altai terranes were most likely derived from the Siberia craton and adjacent Tuva-Mongolian microcontinent. Paleozoic zircons in the Junggar terrane display a εHf(t) pattern from large spread to dominantly positive values at ca. 420–410 Ma. Such an abrupt change points to an accretionary tectonic transition from an advancing to retreating mode during mid-Paleozoic time, synchronous with similar tectonic switch occurring in the Altai terrane. Taking into account the temporal and spatial relations in sedimentation, tectonism and arc magmatism, we propose that the Junggar terrane had once collided onto the peri-Siberian Altai terrane to receive abundant old detritus from the Siberian continent in the Silurian–early Devonian. They were subsequently separated at ca. 420–410 Ma, possibly due to the slab rollback of the subducting Paleo-Asian Ocean (PAO) plate. These results constrain an Early Paleozoic tectono-paleogeographic boundary of the CAOB along the North Tianshan–Solonker suture zone, and also imply a long-lived PAO subduction was responsible for the Neoproterozoic to Paleozoic accretionary orogenesis at the margins of southern Siberia, eastern Kazakhstan, and northern Gondwana.

Nomads of the Oghuz-Pecheneg Time of the Volga-Don Region According to Anthropology Data.

Introduction. The article presents the results of an anthropological study of the nomads of the Oghuz-Pecheneg period of the Volga-Don region, known from written and archaeological sources. Material and methods. To carry out the analysis, both published materials and new ones studied by the author were used. The craniological series included data on 55 skulls – 38 male and 17 female. The new material is represented by skulls obtained from excavations of cemeteries in the Volgograd region, for 23 skulls. The anthropological composition, intragroup structure, and ethnogenetic connections were determined by the methods of simple and multivariate statistics. Analysis and discussion. The arithmetic mean values of the male and female craniological series demonstrated a racially mixed Caucasoid-Mongoloid complex, components of which are determined in men by II and in women by both I and II principal components. In addition, in the male series I, the main component performs the function of size and demarcates the skulls with a massive and gracile structure of the brain and facial regions. The multiple discriminant analysis carried out in order to identify ethnogenetic connections showed the greatest similarity of a series of nomads of the Oghuz-Pecheneg period both with their predecessors, the population of the Khazar period, and with groups of Cuman and Golden Horde nomads. The Turkic origin of the study group demonstrates connections with the synchronous populations of Southern Siberia and Kazakhstan. Conclusions. The Oghuz-Pecheneg people exhibited a racially heterogeneous anthropological composition, combining Mongoloid and Caucasoid components. This is a direct consequence of their origin. Apparently, the nomads of the Volga-Don region of the studied time, after its development, could include in their composition the nomadic groups of the previous Khazar time and form the composition of both the urban and nomadic population of the Golden Horde.

Effects of Wildfire and Logging on Soil CO2 Efflux in Scots Pine Forests of Siberia

Wildfires and logging play an important role in regulating soil carbon fluxes in forest ecosystems. In Siberia, large areas are disturbed by fires and logging annually. Climate change and increasing anthropogenic pressure have resulted in the expansion of disturbed areas in recent decades. However, few studies have focused on the effects of these disturbances on soil CO2 efflux in the vast Siberian areas. The objective of our research was to evaluate differences in CO2 efflux from soils to the atmosphere between undisturbed sites and sites affected by wildfire and logging in Scots pine forests of southern Siberia. We examined 35 plots (undisturbed forest, burned forest, logged plots, and logged and burned plots) on six study sites in the Angara region and four sites in the Zabaikal region. Soil CO2 efflux was measured using an LI-800 infrared gas analyzer. We found that both fire and logging significantly reduced soil efflux in the first years after a disturbance due to a reduction in vegetation biomass and consumption of the forest floor. We found a substantially lower CO2 efflux in forests burned by high-severity fires (74% less compared to undisturbed forests) than in forests burned by moderate-severity (60% less) and low-severity (37% less) fires. Clearcut logging resulted in 6–60% lower soil CO2 efflux at most study sites, while multiple disturbances (logging and fire) had 48–94% lower efflux. The soil efflux rate increased exponentially with increasing soil temperature in undisturbed Scots pine forests (p < 0.001) and on logged plots (p < 0.03), while an inverse relationship to soil temperature was observed in burned forests (p < 0.03). We also found a positive relationship (R = 0.60–0.83, p < 0.001) between ground cover depth and soil CO2 efflux across all the plots studied. Our results demonstrate the importance of disturbance factors in the assessment of regional and global carbon fluxes. The drastic changes in CO2 flux rates following fire and logging should be incorporated into carbon balance models to improve their reliability in a changing environment.

Phylogeography of the woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) in the Minusinsk Depression of southern Siberia in the Late Pleistocene.

To date, a number of studies have been published on the phylogenetics of woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius), ranging from analyses of parts of the mitochondrial genome to studies of complete nuclear genomes. However, until recently nothing was known about the genetic diversity of woolly mammoths in southern Siberia, in the Minusinsk Depression in particular. Within the framework of this effort, libraries for high-throughput sequencing of seven bone samples of woolly mammoths were obtained, two-round enrichment using biotinylated probes of modern mtDNA of Elephas maximus immobilised on magnetic microspheres and sequencing with subsequent bioinformatic analysis were carried out. Phylogenetic reconstructions showed the presence of all studied mammoths in clade I, which expanded its range. The assignment of mammoth mitotypes in the Minusinsk Depression to different clusters within clade I may indicate a sufficiently high diversity of their gene pool. Phylogeographic reconstructions revealed a genetic proximity of mitochondrial lineages of Late Pleistocene mammoths of the Minusinsk Depression and other regions of eastern Siberia and estimated their divergence time in the range of 100-150 thousand years ago, which indicates active migrations of woolly mammoths over vast territories of eastern Siberia in the late Middle Pleistoceneearly Late Pleistocene.

The first satellite tracking data on the migration of the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus (Cuculiformes, Cuculidae) from Southern Siberia (Khakassia, Russia)

In early June and July 2018 and 2019, during the reproduction period, we captured and equipped with satellite transmitters (5.3 g PinPoint GPS ARGOS 120) four males of the common cuckoo Cuculus canorus canorus (Linnaeus, 1758) in the vicinity of the city of Abakan in Khakassia, Southern Siberia. In one male, it was possible to track the route of autumn migration up to the border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo with Zambia (10 819 km), in another male to Western Iran. The routes of the other two birds were interrupted for unknown reasons in the Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan and in the Novosibirsk region. Satellite data confirmed our assumption that the cuckoos breeding in the territory of Southern Siberia migrate in autumn to the southwest via Kazakhstan, Central Asian countries (Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan), Iran, and Saudi Arabia to the southern part of Africa.

Characteristic Ddepth distribution of crustal earthquakes in Southern Siberia

The key parameters of an earthquake are magnitude, epicenter coordinates, and depth. Depth often has a decisive influence on the macroseismic effect of certain earthquakes. In this regard, for example, to assess seismic risk, one should know information on the statistics of earthquake occurrence at certain depths. In this work, catalogs of continental crustal earthquakes in the Southern Siberia are analyzed. The distributions of earthquake depths are approximated by various functions. The Weibull distribution, with a maximum at 8 km, is shown to describe the depth distribution of these crustal earthquakes most accurately. When the western (Altai–Sayan) and eastern (Baikal Rift Zone) parts of the region are considered separately, the Weibull distribution is also preferable. The maximum of the distribution is found to be at 9 km for the Baikal rift zone and at 7 km for the Altai–Sayan zone.

Characteristic Depth Distribution of Crustal Earthquakes in Southern Siberia

Characteristic Depth Distribution of Crustal Earthquakes in Southern Siberia

Fire-Induced Changes in Geochemical Elements of Forest Floor in Southern Siberia

Fire-Induced Changes in Geochemical Elements of Forest Floor in Southern Siberia

Variability of the undisturbed electric field and the factors influencing it in mountain and steppe landscapes in southern Siberia based on the expedition study

Variability of the undisturbed electric field and the factors influencing it in mountain and steppe landscapes in southern Siberia based on the expedition study

Family traditions of the titular ethnic groups of Southern Siberia (according to the 2022 study)

The subject of the study is the traditions of the southern ethnic groups of Siberia, the object is the family traditions of the titular ethnic groups. The predominant family tradition is hospitality (82.5%), among the significant ones are maternity (73.3%), funeral (69.2%). Among the self-identified values by the respondents: joint leisure activities (41.7%), meeting of relatives (6.6%), cooking national dishes (6.6%). It was found that hospitality occupies a significant place in the hierarchy of priority traditions of the surveyed Tuvans (80.1%), maternity (72.0%), wedding (62.5%) are important, joint work is significant among those independently identified by respondents; funeral (89.9%) are primarily valuable for Altaians, followed by wedding (88.8%), maternity (85.9%) traditions, reverence of nature; for Khakas – hospitality (94.1%), funeral (89.7%), maternity (67.6%), childbirth celebrating. The empirical basis of the study is the sociological survey conducted in May–June 2022 among the ethnic groups of Southern Siberia. The survey was conducted using a questionnaire based on a questionnaire compiled by the author. 1,000 people took part in the survey based on a quota sample. Based on the survey materials, typologies of traditions have been identified depending on the cultural foundations of ethnic communities. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the disclosure of modern family traditions of the Altaians, Tuvinians, Khakas. The author came to the conclusion that the predominant family tradition is hospitality (82.5%), among the significant ones are maternity (73.3%), funeral (69.2%). Among the self-identified values by the respondents: joint leisure activities (41.7%), meeting of relatives and relatives (6.6%), cooking national dishes (6.6%).