Ignatov, M.S., I.S. Pavlov, E.I. Ivanova, E.A. Ignatova, T.V. Voronkova & A.V. Protopopov. 2025. Mosses from the Bykovsky Mammoth (Yakutia)

Arctoa (2025) 34: 93–126

doi: 10.15298/arctoa.34.09

Moss collection of the Late Pleistocene, 48850±2274 years old, from in the Neelov Bay of the Laptev Sea, Arctic Ocean was obtained from the mammoth scull, within the nose cavity. Mosses are preserved in excellent condition since the Bykovsky Mammoth has been fossilised shortly after its death, buried in permafrost ground and never melted until its finding in 2022. Bulk maceration of soil with mosses brought about 500 moss fragments; 135 better preserved specimens were mounted in slides. Thirty two species were identified up to species level, whereas one small fragment of Sphagnum and two leaves of Didymodon were referred only to the genus. Species composition of this collection is generally similar to that currently occurring in the area; the collection includes mire species Scorpidium scorpioides, Loeskypnum badium, Calliergon richardsonii, Drepanocladus brevifolius, D. trifarius, Tomentypnum involutum, Meesia uluginosa, Orthothecium chryseon, as well as epigeic mosses Encalypta alpina, E. procera, Tortella splendida, Distichium capillaceum, Flexitrichum flexicaule, and Abietinella abietina. Northern flora element is represented by Cyrtomnium hymenophyllum and Polytrichastrum septentrionale. Among mosses with more southern distribution we found Leskea polycarpa, a species having its northern limit in Lower Lena River region at ca. 300 km to the south. The latter fact provides an evidence, in addition to the scattered paleoclimatological data, that in time when Bykovsky Mammoth lived the northern Yakutian climate was slightly warmer than now, unlike the climate of Europe, where it was colder that time.