Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 32() 1989
Holocene snail and vertebrate fauna from Nad Mosurem Starym Duża Cave (Grodzisko near Cracow): palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions
Abstract:
Excavations in Nad Mosurem Starym Duża Cave were undertaken during the years 1967-1969. The sequence of deposits comprises layer 5 of Pleni-Vistulian age and layers 4-1 accumulated over a period from the close of the Atlantic phase of the Holocene to recent times. A rich and diverse subfossil fauna consists of 31 species of terrestrial snails, fish remains, 2 amphibians, 4 species of reptiles, 51 taxa of birds and 50 mammal taxa. Studies of faunal succession show that layer 5 was deposited in cold, moderately humid climate and steppe-tundra environment. The composition of faunal assemblages of the Sub-Boreal phase (layers 4, 3 and 2) suggests the wide expansion of coniferous and mixed forests in the climate becoming dryer. It is suggested that some Pleistocene relics, e.g. Lagopus, Dicrostonyx, and Microtus gregalis, survived in the Cracow region until the beginning of the Late Holocene. Fauna of layer 1 is relatively poor, containing mainly open country species, what is probably due to deforestation and thus connected with the human activity.
