Observaţii critice despre genul Bison (Bovidae, Mammalia) din pleistocenul Moldovei. În articol se examinează problemele taxonomice şi sistematice legate de genul Bison pe baza materialelor fosile din Moldova şi teritoriile învecinate. Bison suchovi din pleistocenul timpuriu este considerat un sinonim junior al speciei Bison (Eobison) tamanensis, iar diferenţele morfologice între cele două specii se explică prin fenomenul dimorfi zmului sexual. Bison schoetensacki lagenocornis stabilit în componenţa faunei din prundişul tiraspolian poate fi de fapt o variantă morfologică a coarnelor de tip B. Subspecia nouă Bison priscus tiraspolensis bazată pe materialul din prundişul tiraspolian de fapt e nomen nudum, deoarece n-a fost indicat holotipul şi n-a fost propusă diagnoza subspeciei. Atribuirea bizonului din Tiraspol la specia Bison priscus de asemenea crează dubii. Bison priscus din Pleistocenul tîrziu al Moldovei se caracterizează prin dimensiunile comparative mici, cu premolari inferiori relativi mari, prin care se apropie de formele fosile mai mari din Europa de Est.

В работе рассматриваются таксономические и систематические вопросы, касающиеся рода бизонов по материалам Молдовы и близлежащих регионов. Раннеплейстоценовый Bison suchovi рассматривается как младший синоним Bison (Eobison) tamanensis, морфологические различия между этими видами обусловлены половым диморфизмом. Bison schoetensacki lagenocornis, присутствие которого указывалось в тираспольский фауне, может представлять собой индивидуальный вариант формы роговых стержней самцов типичного B. schoetensacki. Описанный на основе тираспольского материала Bison priscus tiraspolensis является nomen nudum, принадлежность тираспольского бизона к виду Bison priscus так же вызывает сомнения. Oзднеплейстоценовый Bison priscus из Молдовы представлен некрупной формой с относительно крупными нижними премолярами, которые сближают его с ископаемыми формами восточноевропейской равнины.

Critical remarks on genus Bison (Bovidae, Mammalia) from Pleistocene of Moldova. Early Pleistocene remains of bison from Moldova belong to two different forms: a some-what smaller and more archaic form with short metapodials similar to Bison (Eobison) sp. from Apollonia (Greece), and a larger bison from Cişmichioi similar to Bison menneri from Unternassfels (Germany). It is noteworthy that large-sized ruminants from Cişmichioi (cervids and bovids) show a certain affinity to largesized ruminant species from the post-Villafranchian fauna of Untermassfeld. Some isolated fi ndings of metacarpal bones from Slobozia Mare and Minjir described by David and Rusu (2006) as Bison tamanensis, actually belong to Late Pleistocene Bison priscus. Bison schoetensacki lagenocornis with “bottle-shaped” horn-cores described by Flerov and David (1971) from Tiraspolian gravel along B. schoetensacki schoetensacki, actually represents an individual variant of male horn-core shape. The fact that female horn-cores are unknown supports this point of view. Recent attempt of David and Rusu (2006) to define the systematical position of Tiraspolian fossil bison is quite unsuccessful since the proposed new subspecies name Bison priscus tiraspolensis (= Bison priscus tirapolensis lapsus calami David et Rusu 2006) is not accompanied by a type specimen designation, type specimen figure or reference to such a fi gure, the species definition and description. According to the International Zoological Code, Bison priscus tiraspolensis is a nomen nudum. The belonging of Tiraspolian bison to Bison priscus as it was assumed by David and Rusu (2006) is not doubtless. The bison from Tiraspolian gravel is the largest among B. schoetensacki samples from various sites of Western Europe. Apparently, its quite massive limb bones might be correlated with body mass and represent a graviportal adaptation. Proportions of long limb bones computed from the mean values of male long limb boles lengths are fairly similar to those of Bison menneri. Like B. menneri, Tiraspolian bison is characterized by relatively long metapodials, especially metacarpal bones, although metapodials of the Tiraspolian form are rather robust. According to the pattern of limb proportions, Middle and late Pleistocene fossil Bison species could be divided into two ecomorphological groups: large but lightly build forms with small head and long limbs that represent an open-landscape running ecomorphological type (B. menneri and B. cf. schoetensacki from Tiraspol), and large heavily build with large heavy head, shortened metapodials, and evolved graviportal adaptations. The second ecomorphological type includes the largest species of the genus B. priscus and its modern diminished descents B. bison and B. bonasus. The revealed affinity of forest species B. bonasus in postcranial proportions with open landscape B. priscus and B. bison suggest that the adaptation of the former species to forest habitat has a secondary character. Late Pleistocene B. priscus from Moldova is rather small-sized reminding fossil bison from Western Europe, however its larger relative size of lower premolars distinguishes Moldavian Paleolithic bison from Western European forms and approaches to larger Late Pleistocene bisons of Russia. However, the small size of Late Pleistocene bison from Moldova could be a result of selective hunting of Late Paleolithic people. Apparently, Flerov’s (1979) placement of all smaller Late Pleistocene bison forms of Europe and Western Siberia in one subspecies B. priscus mediator is a simplified systematical solution.