PRELIMINARY STUDY OF TWO CAVE BEAR CUBS FROM THE LATE PLEISTOCENE VERTEBRATE ASSEMBLAGE OF THE “TECCHIA” OF EQUI CAVE (EQUI TERME, MASSA- CARRARA PROVINCE, ITALY)

Taking its place in the northern portion of the Apuan Alps, the “Tecchia” of Equi cave (Equi Terme, Massa- Carrara Province, Italy) represents a cave of great palaeontological and archaeological relevance. Here, abundant faunal remains have been collected, mostly Late Pleistocene (MIS3) mammals such as the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus Rosenmuller, 1794). In 2014, two extremely small skeletons of this species were collected from a single stratigraphic horizon at the “Tecchia”. Both specimens (hereinafter, Cub 1 and Cub 2) exhibit an excellent state of preservation. Cub 1 includes the skull, which preserves an undeformed three-dimensional morphology and is still connected to the cervical vertebrae. The cervical and thoracic vertebrae and the ribs are fully articulated. The 23-mm-long scapulae, a 33-mm-long humerus and a tibia are also preserved. Cub 2 features the thoracic cage and part of the vertebral column. Preserved elements of the forelimbs consist of both the 31-mm-long humeri, ulnae and radii, plus a 25-mm-long scapula. Many anatomical traits of Cub 1 and Cub 2 reveal a very young age at death, including vertebrae that are not fully ossified and the lack of epiphyses of the long bones. Cub 1 is edentulous, and its cranium displays open fontanelles and unfused sutures. By comparing the measurements of the scapulae and long bones of both cubs to the values reported in literature for early juvenile conspecific individuals from other sites of central Europe, an age at death of less than a week was estimated. These cave bear cubs may have died from malnutrition a few days after their birth, similar to what happens to many modern bear cubs, due to the oftencritical nutritional conditions of their mothers during hibernation.