The Pleistocene of Untermassfeld near Meiningen (Thüringen, Germany)

Excavations at the Early Pleistocene vertebrate site of Untermassfeld took place over a total of 127 months, resulting in the recovery of an abundance of 18,000 identifiable paleontological finds. Led by R.-D. Kahlke, this incredible collection has been preserved and evaluated by an interdisciplinary team of scientists. Part 4 of the Untermassfeld monograph details the research history of the site from 1997 to 2015. New results on the geological evolution of the Werra valley in the area of the fossil deposit are discussed along with the absolute age of the finds. This volume also contains studies on insect-generated bone modifications and new discoveries on fish, amphibian, reptile, bird, and bison skull finds. Current knowledge on the extensive collection of Untermassfeld cervid fauna and pathological results on hippo remains has been extended and the volume concludes with additional descriptions of new equid and rhinocerotid finds. All contributions are richly illustrated and