The first paleoparasitological analysis of coprolites of a cave bear (Ursus kanivetz Vereshchagin, 1973) was performed. Material for research was obtained from different deeps at the excavation of Ignatievskaya Cave (Chelyabinsk Region, Southern Urals, Russia, 54°53’N 57°46’E). Fossil coprolites were find from the excavations N 1-2, situated et the 120 meters from the entry of cave. The depth of excavations was 1.9 m. Radiocarbon analysis show that the age of cave bear bones was more than 27500 years. Coprolites were analyzed by combine method and sedimentation. Slides were viewed under the Meiji microscope with Х100 and Х400 magnification and made a pictures by the Vision camera. Eggs were defined using scientific descriptions available in the national and foreign literature. As a result from the paleoparasitological analysis, the presence Nematodes eggs was detected. Eggs are belonged to Baylisascaris transfuga Rudolphi, 1819 – specific parasite of Ursidae. Obviously, that helminth infected different species of bears already at the Late Pleistocene period and had a wide spreading. This is the first finding of the nematode B. transfuga of Pleistocene age and the first finding of parasites in the cave bear coprolites.
PALEOPARASITOLOGICAL ANALYSES OF CAVE BEAR (URSUS KANIVETZ VERESHCHAGIN, 1973) COPROLITES FROM THE IGNATIEVSKAYA CAVE (SOUTHERN URAL)
