O. G. Dely szerk.: Vertebrata Hungarica 18. (Budapest, 1978)

Kádár, Z.: Some zoogeographical aspects of the NW African vertebrate fauna in historical times: archeological and cultural historical methods in the research 79-84. o.

Vertebr. Hung. XVIII. 1978. Some zoogeographical aspects of the NW African vertebrate fauna in historical times: archeologieal and cultural historical methods in the research KÁDÁR, Zoltán Budapest ABSTRACT: Author, after zoologically evaluating the Roman mosaics (2nd to 4th c. A.D. ) from NW Africa, points out the details of zoogeographical. changes , like the extinction of numerous Afrotropical elements, e. g. large mammals and the ostrich, having taken place in historical times. The fact that a great number of animal species has already become extinct in historical times a regrettable process continuing even today, urges the specialists to go beyond the biogeographical investigations of the present state studying the dispersion of a single species of animal. It seems to be beyond doubt that areas, where the changes in the ecosystem proceeded relatively rapidly: where natural changes as well as social ones increased the dynamics of the process in faunal changing, need a special investigation. Results The most critical area in the Old World is the Mediterranean, where three continents: Europe, Africa and Asia meet. Since a methodical collecting of the fauna of this area has not begun sooner than the 18th century, while the conservation and scientific investigation of the animal remains (bones, etc. ), uncovered by archeologieal excavations, has a past of barely half a century, research work must employ other methods than merely zoological ones. Among these zoo- archeology is perhaps the most important one dealing with the examination of animal representations, preserved on archeologieal monuments. In this respect the investigation of prehistoric animal representation on NW African rock engravings had some significant results in outlining the faunal history of this area (LOTHE, 1966, 1971; further references at NISSEN, 1971). Though the monuments of classical antiquity were also subject of a scrutiny in the course of the last 90 years (KELLER, 1887, 1909-1913; recently TOY NBEE, 1973), a synthetic, complex elaboration of the problem is still lacking. Especially for the NW African fauna of classical times, there are first of all the contemporary illustrations which in lack of a suitable osteological material may give a reply. Which were those characteristical vertebrates of the NW African area, more precisely of the African "Mediterranean Sclerophyll" and the "Atlas Steppe" (UDVARDY, 1975), which became already extinct in the first half of the first miUenary A.D. ? I should like to refer here, since it con-