Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 46(1) 2003

Issue:

VOL 46(1) 2003

Keywords:

Thanatocenosis, fossil bats, Late Quaternary

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Late Pleistocene and Holocene bats (Chiroptera) from the Komarowa Cave (Cracow-Częstochowa Upland, Poland) - preliminary results

• Katarzyna OCHMAN

Abstract:

Excavations in the Komarowa Cave in the “Sokole Góry” Natural Reserve (Cracow-Częstochowa Upland, Poland) yielded the Pleistocene and Holocene remains of bats (NISP=270, MNI=167) belonging to 16 species. In most layers Myotis bechsteinii, M. nattereri, and M. daubentonii predominated. The fossils contained interesting and rare bats Rhinolophus hipposideros, M. emarginatus, Vespertilio murinus, Plecotus cf. austriacus as well as Pipistrellus nathusii which remains were found in Poland for the first time. In most sediments (in the case of layers A, C, D, Ft, Gt, J) bat assemblages indicated the presence of forests in the vicinity of the cave and a relatively warm and humid climate. The Holocene-Recent succession of bats in the “Sokole Góry” Natural Reserve is discussed.