Findings of Diatom Algae in the Trunk and Buccal Cavity Content of a Mammoth from Sediments of the Late Pleistocene of Yakutia

The study of the contents of the trunk and buccal cavity of a the remains of mammoth calf ( Mammuthus primigenius ) from Yakutia using scanning electron microscopy has revealed 14 species and varieties of Bacillariophyta and three forms which have been identified only to genus. The obtained data on the diatom species composition expand knowledge of the Pleistocene flora of Bacillariophyta in the region. Ecological characteristics of the detected diatom species indicate that the location where the mammoth was found represented a stagnant or flowing oligotrophic freshwater body with neutral or slightly alkaline pH.