Kaszab Zoltán (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 68. (Budapest 1976)
Jánossy, D. ; Kordos, L.: Pleistocene-holocene Mollusc and Vertebrate fauna of two caves in Hungary
As a result of investigations made on molluscs the presence of Pupillidae in layer H m indicates a relatively drier climate although the small number of individuals and species does not allow us to draw further conclusions. "With the aid of studies made on vertebrate fauna the following data and trends can be put on record : Rana mehelyi described from the postglacial sediments of the Bükk Mountains is present only in the lowermost (P T ) layer of Petényi Cave. — Teeth with transitional variation of Microtus nivalis and Microtus gregalis-arvalis were also found in the lowermost layer only. The same goes for some macromammals being important from stratigraphical point of view, e. g. Ursus spelaeus and Rupicapra rupicapra. — In deposits containing Mesolithie-Epipalaeolithic tools and therefore considered as transitional layers between Pleistocene and Holocene is the latest occurrence of Lagopus lagopus, Lagopus mutus, My Otis bechsteini, Sicista sp., Cricetus cricetus, Microtus arvalis, Microtus oeconomus, Microtus gregalis, Ochotona sp., and Lepus timidus. It seems as if in Petényi Cave all the Pleistocene relic species would disappear during Mesolithie although we shall emphasize again that layers H v and H 1V contained only a few remains, therefore the sudden faunal change may be due to this. According to the faunal review discussed above the following trends based on the dominance proportions of species can be observed : Voles and mice are dominant in older layers (Fig. 2) while in younger ones the number of dormice and bats increased at the expense of vole species. While the number of dormice (first of all that of Glis and Muscardinus) shows a continuous steady increase, maximum number of bats is layer H n together with the strong diminution of the number of voles and mice. At last in the uppermost layer (H^n) just the opposite happened. The above-mentioned data make possible to trace the circumstances of the accumulation of finds (thanatocenosis) as well as biocenosis of former fauna in the small cave. While the older layers represent primarily an owls' den and an accumulation of pellets in younger layers there was probably an accumulation resulted by bats' hibernaculum and lair of small carnivores. — In contradiction to the occurence of Lagopus in lower layers, the upper ones contain Tetrastes. Mole is present in every layer nearly in the same quantity. As for shrews the two Sorex species are present in small number in every layer like the above-mentioned Talpa. Hydrophylic Neomys was only in layer Pj while the two Crocidura species were more common in older layers, except Pj. —-It has an importance from chronological and later perhaps also from biostratigraphical point of view that My Otis bechsteini is present only in older layers. The high proportion of Pipistrellus and Vespertilio is an unusual feature of the fauna. — Sciurus vulgaris and Picidae are present in very small quantity in every layer indicating that there were not unwooded periods nearby, while the presence of Castor fiber together with Neomys may refer to a more humid environment, open water existed during Early Holocene. Dryomys and Muscardinus are present in every Holocene layer, Glis and Eliomys are known from the end of the layer H v ; the number of the last two species increased in younger layers, especially that of Glis. The alternation of voles within the sequence of layers is very characteristic and highly similar to those observed in Rejtek I. Rock Shelter (described later). The order of quantity and later the fade-out of vole species is : Microtus nivalis —Microtus gregalis — Microtus oeconomus — meanwhile the number of Pitymys slightly increases and Myodes has an abrupt appearence. The complete vanishing of Microtus arvalis seems to be unreal. The increase of the proportion of Arvicola in layer H n is an interesting local feature which by no means can be accepted as a general tendency. As a result of the exchange of vole species a vole fauna characteristic of deciduous forests with the dominance of Myodes-Pitymys had been developed. — Mice belonging to Apodemus sylvaticus group are only of inferior importance in Alleröd layer, later, however, in layer H m became dominant species in the fauna. The cause of the decrease in number could be traced only in changes of accumulation types because they remain the dominant group anyhow. The rapid increasing of mice characteristic of Holocene can be connected with the invasion of deciduous forests and with the cenological lack caused by the disappearence of Pleistocene species. Mus musculus is present only in the youngest layer. We cannot draw far-reaching conclusious from the sporadic presence of carnivores. The only conspicuous phenomenon in sporadic samples is the presence of Canis familiáris, Ursus arctos and Felis domestica all goes to show that the layers are very young and mixed. In lower layers Ochotona disappeared and in the Pleistocene-Holocene transitional period Lepus timidus is replaced by Lepus europaeus. Ungulates, with the exception of Rupicapra rupicapra, are present only in sporadic samples.
