Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-24hb2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T15:09:49.865Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Malacological and palynological evidence of the Lower Pleistocene cold phase at the Carpathian Foothills (Southern Poland)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Ewa Stworzewicz*
Affiliation:
Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sławkowska 17, 31–016 Kraków, Poland
Wojciech Granoszewski
Affiliation:
Polish Geological Institute, National Research Institute, Carpathian Branch, Skrzatów 1, 31–560 Kraków, Poland
Antoni Wójcik
Affiliation:
Polish Geological Institute, National Research Institute, Carpathian Branch, Skrzatów 1, 31–560 Kraków, Poland
*
*Corresponding author. Fax: + 48 12 422 42 94. E-mail address:stworzewicz@isez.pan.krakow.pl (E. Stworzewicz).

Abstract

Early Pleistocene sediments bearing gastropod shells and pollen flora were found during coring at Jawornik (South Poland) at a depth interval of 54.30–39.00 m, beneath the oldest till of the Carpathians. Thirteen land-snail taxa identified in 55 samples of the core formed two molluscan assemblages. In the bottom part, typical cold-loving snails were found (e.g. Vallonia tenuilabris, Pupilla loessica, Vertigo genesii, Columella columella), whereas in the upper part only Semilimax kotulae was present. The succession of molluscan assemblages may suggest that at the site of deposition, after a phase of tundra, steppe-tundra or forest-steppe landscape with patches of wet habitats in cold climate, the climate became slightly milder but still cool, favourable to the spreading of boreal (coniferous) woodlands. Pollen analysis was performed only for the upper part of the profile. The pollen spectra, besides the Tertiary (Miocene) elements, contained sporomorphs common to the Tertiary and Quaternary floras. Among them, the highest percentages were noted for Pinus haploxylon t., P. diploxylon t., Picea, Quercus, Ericaceae, Betula, and Ulmus. The fact that the sediments with organic remains underlie the oldest Scandinavian till suggests that they are older than the oldest glacial unit of the South-Polish Complex (Narevian = Menapian, ~ 1.2 Ma).

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ber, A., (2005). Polish Pleistocene stratigraphy — a review of interglacial stratotypes. Netherlands Journal of Geosciences – Geologie en Mijnbouw. 84, 6176.Google Scholar
Ber, A., Lindner, L., Marks, L., (2007). Propozycja podziału stratygraficznego czwartorzędu Polskiego. Przegląd Geologiczny. 55, 115118.Google Scholar
Butrym, J., Gerlach, T., (1985). Przyczynek do chronostratygrafii osadów zlodowacenia południowopolskiego na Pogórzu Dynowskim. Studia Geomorphologica Carpatho-Balcanica. 19, 2935.Google Scholar
Foltyn, E., Foltyn, E.M., Jochemczyk, L., Nawrocki, J., Nita, M., Waga, J.M., Wójcik, A., (2010). The oldest human traces north of the Carpathians (Kończyce Wielkie 4, Poland). Journal of Archaeological Science. 37, 18861897.Google Scholar
Frank, C., (2006). Plio-pleistozäne und holozäne Mollusken Österreichs. Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Wien.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Füköh, L., Krolopp, E., Sümegi, P., (1995). Quaternary Malacostratigraphy in Hungary. Malacological Newsletter Supplement. 1, 1219.Google Scholar
Hoffmann, M., Meng, S., Kosachev, P.A., Terechina, T.A., Silanteva, M.M., (2011). Land snail faunas along an environmental gradient in the Altai Mountains (Russia). Journal of Molluscan Studies. 77, 7686.Google Scholar
Horsák, M., Chytrý, M., Pokryszko, B.M., Danihelka, J., Ermakov, N., Hájek, M., Hájková, P., Kintrová, K., Koči, M., Kubešova, S., Lustyk, P., Otýpková, Z., Pelánkova, B., Valachovič, M., (2010). Habitats of relict terrestrial snails in southern Siberia: lessons for the reconstruction of palaeoenvironments of full-glacial Europe. Journal of Biogeography. 37, 14501462.Google Scholar
Jankovská, V., Pokorný, P., (2008). Forest vegetation of the last full-glacial period in the Western Carpathians (Slovakia and Czech Republic). Preslia. 80, 307324.Google Scholar
Krolopp, E., Sümegi, P., (1993). Pleistocene Vertigo species from Hungary. Scripta Geologica, Special Issue. 2, 263268.Google Scholar
Kohl, H., (1986). Pleistocene glaciations in Austria. Quaternary Science Reviews. 5, 421427.Google Scholar
Lindner, L., (1992). Stratygrafia (klimatostratygrafia) czwartorzędu. Lindner, L., Czwartorzęd, osady, metody, stratygrafia, PAE, Warszawa, 441633.Google Scholar
Lindner, L., Marks, L., (2008). Pleistocene stratigraphy of Poland and its correlation with stratotype sections in the Volhynian Upland (Ukraine). Geochronometria. 31, 3137.Google Scholar
Ložek, V., (1964). Quartärmollusken der Tschechoslowakei. Rozpravy Ústředniho ústavu geologického. 31, 1374.Google Scholar
Ložek, V., (2000). Palaeoecology of Quaternary Mollusca. Antropozoikum. 24, 3559.Google Scholar
Malata, T., (2009). Szczegółowa mapa geologiczna Polski w skali 1:50,000, arkusz Strzyżów. Centralne Archiwum Geologiczne, Warszawa.Google Scholar
Mamakowa, K., (2003). Plejstocen. Dybova-Jachowicz, S., Sadowska, A., Palinologia, Wydawnictwa Instytutu Botaniki PAN, Kraków, 235266.Google Scholar
Mania, D., (1973). Paläoökologie, Faunenentwicklung und Stratigraphie des Eiszeitalters im mittleren Elbe-Saalegebiet auf Grund von Molluskengesellschaften. Geologie. 21, 1175.Google Scholar
Meng, S., (2009). Rezente zentralasiatische und pleistozäne mitteleuropäische Faunen mit Vallonia tenuilabris (A. Braun, 1843). Mollusca. 27, 6182.Google Scholar
Meng, S., Hoffmann, M.H., (2009). Pupilla loessica Ložek 1954 (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Pupillidae) — “A Living Fossil” in Central Asia? Eiszeitalter und Gegenwart. Quaternary Science Journal. 58, 5569.Google Scholar
Mojski, J.E., (1985). Geology of Poland. Stratigraphy, Cainozoic, Quaternary. I, 3b, Geological Institute. Wydawnictwa Geologiczne, Warszawa, 7185.Google Scholar
Müller, J., Bässler, C., Strätz, C., Klöcking, B., Brandl, R., (2009). Molluscs and climate warming in a low mountain range National Park. Malacologia. 51, 89109.Google Scholar
Nadachowski, A., (1990). Lower Pleistocene rodents of Poland: faunal succession and biostratigraphy. Quartärpaläontologie. 8, 215223.Google Scholar
Nadachowski, A., (1998). Faunal succession of small mammal assemblages at the Pliocene–Pleistocene boundary in Poland. Mededelingen Nederlands Instituut voor Toegepaste Geowetenschappen TNO. 60, 281286.Google Scholar
Nadachowski, A., Stefaniak, K., Szynkiewicz, A., Marciszak, A., Socha, P., Schick, P., August, C., (2011). Biostratigraphic importance of the Early Pleistocene fauna from Żabia Cave (Poland) in Central Europe). Quaternary International. 243, 204218.Google Scholar
Poliński, W., (1927). Ślimaki z dyluwjum Kielc (Gastéropodes diluviaux de Kielce). Posiedzenia Naukowe Państwowego Instytut Geologicznego. 17, 2122.Google Scholar
Skompski, S., (1996). Standard assemblages of malacofauna in different Quaternary stratigraphic units (in Polish, English summary). Prace Państwowego Instytutu Geologicznego. 151, 147.Google Scholar
Stuchlik, L., (1994). Some Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene pollen profiles from Poland. Cenozoic plants and climates of the Arctic. Boulter, M.C., Fisher, H.C., NATO ASI, Series. 1(27).Google Scholar
Stworzewicz, E., (1981). Early Pleistocene Land Snails from Kielniki and Kozi Grzbiet (Poland). Folia Quaternaria. 54, 4377.Google Scholar
Sulikowska-Drozd, A., Horsák, M., (2007). Woodland mollusc communities along environmental gradients in the East Carpathians. Biologia, Bratislava. 62, 201209.Google Scholar
Szafer, W., (1954). Pliocene flora from the vicinity of Czorsztyn (West Carpathians) and its relationship to the Pleistocene. Prace Instytutu Geologicznego. 11, 1238.Google Scholar
Środoń, A., (1966). Outline of the historical development of the vegetation of Poland in the Late-glacial and Post-glacial Periods. Szafer, W., The Vegetation of Poland, PWN, Oxford, New York, Pergamon, Warszawa, 561593.Google Scholar
Valovirta, I., (2003). The habitat and status of Vertigo angustior, V. genesii and V. geyeri in Finland and nearby Russian Karelia. Heldia. 5, 8594.Google Scholar
Willis, K.J., Rudner, E., Sümegi, P., (2000). The full-glacial forests of central and southeastern Europe. Quaternary Research. 53, 203213.Google Scholar
Wójcik, A., (1999). Tektoniczne deformacje utworów glacjalnych i limnoglacjalnych w Niebylcu (Karpaty, Pogórze Strzyżowskie). VI Konferencja stratygrafii plejstocenu Polski “Czwartorzęd wschodniej części Kotliny Sandomierskiej”. 9396.Google Scholar
Wójcik, A., (2003). Czwartorzęd zachodniej części Dołów Jasielsko-Sanockich (polskie Karpaty Zewnętrzne). Prace Państwowego Instytutu Geologicznego. 178, 1148.Google Scholar
Wójcik, A., Nawrocki, J., Nita, M., (2004). Pleistocene in the Kończyce profile (Oświęcim Basin)—sediment genesis and age analysis at the background of stratigraphic schemes of the Quaternary. Summary. Biuletyn Państwowego Instytutu Geologicznego. 409, 4750.Google Scholar
Zagwijn, W.H., (1985). An outline of the Quaternary stratigraphy of the Netherlands. Geologie en Mijnboun. 64, 1724.Google Scholar