The timing of ostrich existence in Central Asia: AMS 14C age of eggshells from Mongolia and southern Siberia (a pilot study)

The presence of Asiatic ostrich in Central Asia in the later Cenozoic time is well-documented; nevertheless, a few direct age determinations existed until recently. We performed AMS C-14 dating of ostrich eggshells found in Mongolia, Transbaikal, and Tuva. It shows that ostriches existed throughout the second part of Late Pleistocene, until the Late Glacial time (ca. 13,000-10,100 BP). It seems that Asiatic ostrich went extinct in Central Asia just before or even in the Holocene. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.