Latinka Hristova

(Senior Assistant, Dr)

phone: (+359 2) 9808391; (+359 2) 9885116 (ext. 738); e-mail:

Born on 2 September 1968, Sofia
1993 — Master degree in geology, specialisation: palaeontology and stratigraphy
1998—2003 — PhD student, Institute of Geology
From 2005 — palaeontologist at the Palaeontology and Mineralogy Department

Palaeontology and Mineralogy Department

Research interests

Palaeontology (taxonomy and evolution of hipparions, cave bears, late cretaceous vertebrates), palaeoecology, biochronology, taphonomy, stratigraphy.

Scientific projects

2003—2007 — Joined research project between NMNHS-BAS and CNRS.

2008—2012 — Search for the Earliest Human Prehistory: Paleontological Investigations in the Locality of the Last Prehuman Hominoids in Europe (Azmaka near Chirpan, Bulgaria, Turolian). Granted by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Additional grants by L.S.B. Leakey Foundation, the Fyssen Foundation and the University of Tübingen.

2009—2011 — Climate dynamics and the extinction of great apes during the late Miocene in Europe 2009—2011. Supported by the Fyssen Foundation (Principal Investigator: Gildas MERCERON, Univ. of Lyon1).

2012—2013 — The Balkan Valley Project (BVP). Granted by America for Bulgaria Foundation. Leading institution: State University of New York at Albany. Team leader Dr David Strait.

2013 — NMNHS project Exhibition Making. Part of the project ‘Creation and popularising of cultural-historical product at Rakitovo municipality, via adaptation of the Palaeontological locality Dorkovo as a touristic attraction and socialising the cultural monument Tsepina fortress’.

2014—2016 — Palaeoenvironment, climate impacts, human dispersal and adaptations during the Pleistocene and Early Holocene in the Balkans. FWO-BAS.

2014—2017 — The mystery of the arranged cave bear skulls: Excavations and research in Mishin kamik cave. Granted by United Bulgarian Bank.

2015—2017 — Creation and maintenance of Palaeobotanical collection at the National Museum of Natural History, Sofia, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

2016—2018 — The Thracians — genesis and development of the ethnicity, cultural identity, civilizational interactions and ancient heritage. Sub-subject 3: The natural environment at the ancient times and origin of the domestication and stock-breeding on the Bulgarian territory and Europe.

2012 and continues — ‘In search of the latest pre-human hominides in Europe and studying their environment’. Granted by United Bulgarian Bank.

2017 and continues — Joined Bulgarian — Macedonian palaeontological excavations near Dolni Disan Village, Negotino vicinity. Partially granted by Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

2017—2019 — ‘Comparison of the Neogene fossil mammals from China and Bulgaria’, International Partnership Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. GJHZ1885).

April 2018—April 2019 — Palaeontological excavations and investigations in search of the Bulgarian dinosaurs. Project of the National Museum of National History; granted by United Bulgarian Bank.

Most recent publications

Spassov, N., Geraads, D., Hristova, L., Markov, G. N., 2019. The Late Miocene (Turolian) mammal fauna from Gorna Sushitsa, Southwestern Bulgaria. — Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, 291 (3): 317—350.

Spassov, N., Iliev, N., Hristova, L., Ivanov, V., 2018. Typology of Thracian horses according to osteological analysis of skeletal remains and depictions from the antiquity. — Historia naturalis bulgarica, 25: 15—24. [PDF] doi:10.5281/zenodo.4043992

Spassov, N., Hristova, L., Iliev, N., 2018. The domesticated horses from the submerged prehistoric village of Urdoviza (Kiten) on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast — among the oldest known. — Historia naturalis bulgarica, 25: 11—14. [PDF] doi:10.5281/zenodo.4043978

Spassov, N., Hristova, L., 2018. Early Ursus etruscus Cuvier from the Middle Villafranchian carst cavern locality of Varshets (Bulgaria). — 24th International Cave Bear Symposium 2018, Chepelare, 27—30.09.2018.

Spassov, N., Geraads, D., Hristova, L., Markov, G. N., Garevska, B., Garevski, R., 2018. The late Miocene mammal faunas of the Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). — Palaeontographica A., 311 (1—6): 1—85.

Nikolov, V., Pavlishina, P., Yaneva, M., Dochev, D., Konyovska, R., Hristova, L., 2018. Late Cretaceous dinosaur remains and other tetrapod fauna from the vicinity of Tran town (Western Srednogorie). — National Conference with international participation ‘GEOSCIENCES 2018’. Review of Bulgarian Geological Society, 79 (3): 99—100.

Gurova, M., Ivanova, S., Marinova, E., V., Spassov, N., Hristova, L., Verheyden, S., Burlet, C., 2018. Excavations at Mishin Kamik Cave: fifth season. — Archaeological Discoveries and Excavations in 2017, National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences,8—11.

Dzhebir, G., Yordanov, G., Yankova, I., Sirakova, D., Petrova, M., Neov, B., Hristov, P., Radoslavov, G., Hristova, L., Spassov, N., 2018. Comparative genetic analysis of subfossil wild horses (from the Neolithic Age and Early Bronze Age) and present-day domestic horses from Bulgaria. — Historia naturalis bulgarica, 25: 3—10. [PDF] doi:10.5281/zenodo.4043974

Dzhebir, G., Yordanov, G., Yankova, I., Sirakova, D., Petrova, M., Neov, B., Hristov, P., Radoslavov, G., Hristova, L., Spassov, N., 2018. Comparative genetic analysis of modern and ancient horses from the Neolithic age in Bulgaria. — Historia naturalis bugarica, 28: 3—10.

Spassov, N., Hristova, L., Ivanova, S., Georgiev, I., 2017. First Record of the ‘Small Cave Bear’ in Bulgaria and taxonomic status of the bears of the Ursus savini Andrews — Ursus rossicus Borissiak group. — Fossil Imprint, 73 (3—4): 275—291.

— More complete list of publications — section e-Natura | Staff publications