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Pleistocene and Subfossil Vertebrates of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The exhibition shows fossil remains of mammals, most of them dating from the Upper Pleistocene and found in the territory of today's Bosnia and Herzegovina. It also features speleothems (cave formations) from caves in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as subfossil bones and bones of extant mammals found in caves of Herzegovina. 

The remains of a mammoth (Mammonteus primigenius), Eurasian elk (Alces alces), and steppe bison (Bison priscus) indicate that the area of today's Bosnia and Herzegovina was covered in ice and snow in the Upper Pleistocene, some 12,000 years ago. Glaciers covered the mountains Vranica, Vran, Čvrsnica, Prenj, Velež, Bjelašnica, Treskavica, and many others. 

In addition to the remains of mammals like the mammoth, elk, bison, and deer, there are displays of numerous fossils, subfossils, and later bones, which testify to the fact that caves have always been used for shelter. Visitors can see the fossilised tooth of an Upper Pleistocene cave lion (Panthera spelaea) found near Buško Blato (Livno). The skull of a cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) from the Megara cave on Mt Bjelašnica is one of the highlights of the exhibition.

  • natural sciences, geology, fossil, pleistocene, bones
  • natural sciences, geology, fossil, pleistocene, bones

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