Which animals appeared in the animal style of the Central Asian steppe?

The animal style of the Central Asian steppe is characterized by a diverse range of creatures, often depicted with high levels of stylization or in dynamic combat scenes. Common animals featured in this artistic tradition include:

• Stags and deer: These are among the most prominent figures in both Altaic and Scythian art.1
• Horses: Frequently represented in art and often buried alongside their owners in nomadic graves.123
• Carnivores and predators: Various beasts of prey, including members of the cat family such as panthers, are common.13
• Birds and griffins: Mythical and real avian creatures appear frequently, sometimes combined with other animal forms.12
• Rams: Often depicted, with their horns sometimes incorporated into masks or other decorative trappings.12
• Elk: Specifically noted as a subject of portrayal in the middle of the 1st millennium BCE.2

These animals were often rendered in complex compositions, such as combat scenes between carnivores and herbivores, or stylized into circular forms. Artists also employed "zoomorphic junctures," where parts of different animals were combined to create new, often mythical, creatures.13