**Conflict of interest**

The biochemical results obtained by absorption spectroscopy and RP-HPLC with UV-detection showed that photosynthetic pigments, and probably toxins, characteristic of cyanobacteria were preserved in the sediment [11, 27]. The results of the study of Braun and Pfeiffer [27] indicated the presence in the lake of large amounts

In autumn, the following scenario may have occurred repeatedly in different

Salt licks in the lakeshore region had made the area extremely interesting for large herbivores. A stag that has occupied such an area will be extremely attractive to an incoming female herd. The possible reproductive success causes the stags to embittered rut fights. Considering that only about 10% of the stags are involved in reproduction in their lifetime [21, 23], it takes a tremendous amount of effort to occupy the area. If they succeed, they will be the father of the entire subsequent

Stags, being especially thirsty after their rut fights, would have been tempted to drink profusely from the lake. They do not dunk their nose while drinking to be able to smell predators. The toxic bloom is odorless [30], so they do not smell the danger. Thus, while drinking, the stags may easily have taken up a lethal dose of the

Females pay little attention to the rut fights. They were not forced to increase their water intake. They get the most liquid from juicy plant food [21, 22]. This

Anatoxins and microcystins cause a rapid immobilization [31, 32, 41]. Before

Most of the deer skeletons display the preservation typical of water carcasses, with parallel leg position and recurved neck, as evidenced, for example, from the

Higher rainfall in the late autumn will have led to an increase in the lake's water level. After death in the lake shore area many carcasses, inflated by digester gases, will be washed into the lake and distributed over the whole lake. With increasing decay the abdominal cavity broke open, the digester gases escaped, and the carcasses sank to the bottom of the lake. Then, the antlers acted as anchors, which got caught in the bottom sediment. The slack body came to rest beneath the head in side position. The cervical spine, twisted in many skeletons, can be explained in this way. In addition, the tensile force of the ligamentum nuchae caused a recurved neck, as it remained intact longer during decay than the antagonistic muscles. Embedding in the sediment took place at a time when the skeletons were still clearly surrounded by soft tissues, because the bones are preserved in articulation. Carcasses poisoned by cyanobacteria are spurned by predators. Should a scavenger tackle a poisoned animal, he quickly abandons it [30]. In Neumark-Nord, this was observed in the juvenile female HK 87: 300, 958-1046 (**Figure 8**). Although the animal has strong bite marks in the cervical spine, it was not eaten up, as the

Even the few skeletons from the lakeshore that have cut marks of stone tools [17] were not completely disassembled by the Neanderthals; may be the danger was

I am grateful to Prof. D. Mania who entrusted me with the extraordinary deer find from Neumark-Nord for scientific investigation. He kindly left me his sketches on the find situation of the deer, which forms the basis for **Figures 4, 7**, and **8**.

of toxic cyanobacteria that most probably occurred in seasonal blooms.

years at the Pleistocene lake of Neumark-Nord.

*Heritage*

generation of calves of the female herd.

undamaged meat-bearing bones show.

recognized.

**130**

**Acknowledgements**

cyanobacteria drifting near the water surface.

explains why they are so rarely found among the victims.

Eocene site of Messel [42]. This could have happened as follows:

they died, the deer could not get far from the shore.

The author declares no conflict of interests.
