Horváth Géza (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 18. (Budapest 1921)
Éhik, Gy.: The glacial-theories in the light of biological investigation
100 nr. J. ÉH IK When studying the conditions after the withdrawel of the glaciers we must not forget to reckon with the enormous quantity of water produced by the melting ice. The mass of ice existing at the glacial period in Europe and Asia, is estimated to 100 millions km 3, a quantity which, if suddenly melted, would raise the level of all the Oceans and Seas by 18 m. 'fhe territories from which the ice withdrew were at the beginning populated by large-sized animals, followed by the larger carnivorous forms, the soil becoming habitable for smaller elements only after having been sufficiently dried up by the action of storms blowing all over the desert plains (steppes). Once the territory dried up, the small tundra inhabitants — the Lemmings and other forms — again made their appearance, and simultaneously with this begins the formation of a special faunistical complex, i. e. that of the steppe fauna. Thus, on the path of the withdrawing ice, the normal course of stratification continues, just as, before the glacial period, with the first stratum, now containing the fossils of large glacial animals, amongst which the bones of a few larger carnivorous species may be found : the next strata will be characterised by the rests of numerous large and some smaller phytophagous mammals, and by numerous Carnivora, the series terminating with the reappeared lemmings, their fossils being however accompanied in these strata by those of rather new elements belonging to the characteristic steppe fauna. Such localities are, as stated above, Thiede and Sirgenstein, though the latter being remarkable for the absence of the exclusive steppe elements, its fauna owing its origin to the glaciation of the Alps. And on each place, where the regression of the ice did not take place horizontally, viz, northwards, the glaciers withdrawing only in a vertical sense, i. e. being confined to the high mountains, the steppe elements will be absent, the highlands eo ipso excluding the presence of steppe-like formations. 1 should like to point out furthermore a difference existing between the lower and upper Lemming-beds; the dominant species of the first being represented by the Ob-lemming (Lemmus obensis) whilst in the second the majority of fossils belonging to the Banded Lemming (Di/crostonyx torrjuatus). l In the tundra-formation encircling the southernmost limits of the ice, these two facies are situated immediately one over the other. This kind of stratification has been observed in the case of the Pálffy-cave and Peskö-cave in Hungary, for instance. Taking this into consideration we will be able to explain the 1 J. E HIK , D. pleist. Fauna <1. PálíTy-Höhle im Pozsonyer Komitat, Barlangkutatás (Höhlenforschung). Budapest, 1913. Bd. I. p. 87—94,
