O. Gy. Dely szerk.: Vertebrata Hungarica 22. (Budapest, 1984)
Topál, Gy. ; Vörös, I.: Notes on history and recent records of elk (Alces alces L.) in Hungary 83-94. o.
VERTEBRATA HUNGARICA TOM. XXII. 1984 p. 83.94 Notes on history and recent records of elk (Alces alces [L.]) in Hungary By Gy. TOPÁL and I. VÖRÖS (Received November 21, 1983) Abstract: Pleistocene and Holocene history of the elk (Alces alces tL.l) In Hungary and Europe Is reviewed. Four specimens recently found In Hungary are reported, one of them Is compared in details with other museum specimens and data from the literature to establish its age. During the years 1979-1981 four specimens of elk ( Alces alces [L.]) were shot or captured In Hungary. These findings caused dispute among experts whether these animals were dispersing Individuals or escaped from captivity. Besides, an almost seventy years old Issue revived as regards the time of the so-called extinction of the elk in this country and In the Carpathian Basin. To answer the above questions, we have attempted a thorough study of the existing museum specimens and summarized the available relevant data as follows. Pleistocene history According to present knowledge, the elk first appeared in Hungary during the interglacial RissWlirm Period, the Varbó Faunal Phase, in the localities Lambrecht Cave IV-V layers, Tarkó' Rockshelter 2-7 Block (JÄNOSSY 1979), Ságvár-Horhos in yellow sand with concretions (VÖRÖS 1982). Later it reappeared again, during the WH/III (Stillfried B) Würm interstadial. This geological period was the faunistical Istállósko Phase with the localities Bodrogkeresztur, Büdöspest Cave, Herman O. Cave, Istállósko Cave upper culture-layer, Jankovich Cave, Lovas, Szelim Cave B-C layers (VÉRTES 1965, JÁNOSSY 1979). Alces probably spread from the north and north-east Into the Carpathian Basin during the Interstadial Istállósko Phase. Besides the above, 533 Pleistocene localities with scattered large-mammals In Hungary were listed by JÂNOSSY & VÖRÖS (1979). Among these places but 25 yielded remains of elk. Thirteen of them are situated In the Tlsza valley,three In the Danube valley, one In the valley of River Rába, two on the Great Hungarian Plain, two in North Hungary, finally four in the foothill area of the North-Central Mountains (JÂNOSSY & VÖRÖS op. cit.). During the stadial periods of the Würm glacial the species seemed to be entirely absent in the Carpathian Basin. The Upper Pleistocene occurrences of the species in Europe well demonstrate the tendency of dispersal from a center In the north and nort-east, with a gradual diminishing in numbers towards
