Accepted_test
Cave hyenas, which inhabited large areas of the Eurasian continent until the late Pleistocene, are often divided into two species, European (Crocuta spelaea) and Asian (Crocuta ultima), due to significant genetic and morphological differences. The relationship between these species remains controversial and not fully understood. In particular, sufficient genetic data are lacking for populations that inhabited the central part of Northern Eurasia. In this work, the whole genomes of two animals found in the Ineyskaya cave (Republic of Khakassia) were investigated. Our results show wide distribution of C. ultima species in the center of Northern Eurasia during the Late Pleistocene. Moreover, we find discordance between nuclear and mitochondrial phylogenies, which may indicate closer contacts between C. ultima and C. spelaea, as well as a possibility of prolonged existence of hybrid forms in the contact zone of their ranges.