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.

Study specimen No, sex 4,0* 5,9 6.9 7, Ô** 8, 8* 9.0 Age ad. ad. ad. ad. Juv. ad. s.ad. Medio-saglttal length, lat. 1. 75 76.5 72. 5 78 77 med. 1. 73.5 76 76 72 77 76 lat. r. 83 76 76.5 72 77.5 74 med. r. 75 76 70 75 73 Breadth of prox. epiphysis, lat. 1. 33.5 31 29.5 33 31 med. 1. 31.5 35 31 30 33.5 31 lat. r. 35 33.5 31 29 33 31.5 med. r. 34,5 31.5 30 33.5 32 Smallest breadth of diaphysis, lat. 1. 24 22 20 23.5 22.5 med. 1. 23.5 25 22.5 21 24 23 lat. r. 24 24 22.5 20 23.5 23.5 med. r. 2 5 22 21 24 24 Breadth of dist. epiphysis, lat. 1. 30 28 26. 5 30 29 med. 1. 28.5 30.5 27.5 27 30.5 29 lat. r. 32 30 28 26. 5 30 29 med. r. 30.5 28 27 30 29 Diameter of prox. epiphysis, lat. 1. 38 36 35.5 37.5 38 med. I. 36 39.5 36 35 36.5 37 lat. r. 40 38 36.5 35 37 32 med. r. 39 36 35 37.5 31 Smallest diameter of diaphysis, lat. 1. 21.5 21 17. 5 19.5 20 med. 1. 19 22 21 18 20 20 lat. r. 21 22 21 17 5 19.5 20 med. r. 22 20.5 18 19.5 20 Diameter of dist.epiphysis, lat. I. 26 24. 5 22 24 24 med.l. 23 26 24 22 5 24 24 lat. r. 28 26 24.5 22 24 24 med. r. 26 24 22 5 24 24 CONCLUSIONS Our No 81.80.1. specimen, a migratory cow, was certainly a member of a free-living population. Its measurements - inspite of its young age - showed higher values than even those of captive bulls. The other three recent specimens, all young bulls, reached still further in Hungary, They first appeared at a distance 180 and 400 km from Poprad and the River Dniester area, respectively, in southern and south-western directions. The route covered by one of them was traced down for a further cca 400 km towards the south-west near the latitude of 46°20'

, which is at present surely the southernmost occurrence of the species in Europe. Under preferable circumstances and climatic conditions, such extended movements of a big-bodied mammal are not surprising and show a great population pressure. In connection with this, dispersal of young Individuals might happen at any time. The same event, might happened in an easier way before the 18th century and during the Middle Ages as well as before that, when human, activity and influence on this species was evidently less than nowadays. Vagrant Individuals might have reached even the western part Hungary of that time, although, evidently, the species has never been a permanent member of the mammalian fauna of Hungary during the Holocene, so, the time of its "extinction" should not be a question for debate. The actual causes of the large-scale fluctuations In Its distribution during the whole Pleistocene and Holocene still remain subjects for further studies. REFERENCES ANDERA, M. & KOKES, O. (1978): Migration of moose (Alces alces L.) in Czechoslovakia. - Cas. slezsk. Opave, 27: 171-188 (in Czech.)