Vörös A. szerk.: Fragmenta Mineralogica Et Palaentologica 11. 1983. (Budapest, 1983)
FRAGMENTA MINERALOGIGA et PALAEONTOLOGICA 11. 1983 p. 55-60 Lemming-remain from the Older Pleistocene of Southern Hungary (Villány, Somssich-hegy 2) By D. JÍNOSSY (Received November 29, 1982) Abstract: In relation to the first remain of a Lemming ( Lemmus sp. ) from the Older Pleistocene of Southern Hungary, Villány Hills, Locality Somssichhegy 2., a preliminary analysis of the hithero collected invertebrate and vertebrate fauna, as well as its climatic significance is given. The ecological and climatical significance of Lower Pleistocene mammals has been disputed in the literature several times during the last decades and especially the lemmings were in focus (TERZEA & JURCSAK 1 968, 1969, C HA LINE & al. 1976, TERZEA 1973, KOWALSKI 1975, 1977, 1980, BURNS 1980 etc.). The subtle morphological differences between the recent and Lower Pleistocene lemmings, - especially in members of the genus Lemmus , the indicators of "cold climate" - seemed to prove that there are no specific differences between these "species". It was shown only during the last years that an extinct species similar to the recent one might have also existed. In addition, another extinct species of an other genus has been described, too (KOWALSKI 1977). It seems to be evident that this morphological evolution is more or less connected with some changes in ecological i. e. climatical requirements. The Lemming remains of the Older Pleistocene had previously been confined to the temperate zone of Europe, a fact which supported the theory of the "northern" climatical significance of this faunistical element (CHALINE 1973, TERZEA 1973, JANOSSY 1979). The newest remains of such nature in the sub-Mediterranean of Hungary, described in this paper, as well as other findings of the Mediterranean of France (CHALINE & al. 1 976), give some new aspects to this theme. The Villány-Hills (Southernmost Hungary, 45 52' -45 53' Northern Latitude) have been well known for more than a century for their classical Upper Pliocene-Lower Pleistocene localities. Among the cca. 40 fissures and caves nearly all were filled up with red clay and only a very few physical data spoke for some deterioration of the climate, e. g. the upper part of the series of the locality Villány 8, going into a yellowish sediment on the top (KRETZOI 1956), although without the appearance of true "cold elements" in the fauna. Previously this fact had been thought to be connected with the sub-Mediterranean position of the locality-complex of Villány and also apparently supported the monoglacialistic hypotheses of some Hungarian authors (EHIK 1921, KORMOS 1937 etc.). During the last years we have detected at the top of Somssich-hegy of Villány a new locality, viz. Loc. 2, lying 9 m east of the wine house situated cca. 50 m east of the 180.1-height point above sea level (and not near the 215 m point as given erroneously by
