Publisher © Czech Geological Survey, ISSN: 2336-5757 (online), 0514-8057 (print)
Stratigraphy and malacofauna of the Holocene fill of the Pod valem Cave (Zádiel Gorge, NP Slovak Karst, SE Slovakia)
Abstract
The Pod valem Cave is situated at the foot of a west-facing rock cliff, forming the upper margin of the Zádiel Gorge at altitude 550 m. Thus, it represents a sunny habitat exposed to winds and characterized by a number of xerothermophilic rupestral snail species that have dominated the whole postglacial succession since the Atlantic period. Consequently, the malacostratigraphic interpretation must be based on changes in woodland malacofauna. This occurs in basal layers (10-8) in minor amounts, culminates in the middle section of the sequence (7-4) and declines in the upper-most strata (3-1) that are man-made and separated from the underlying complex by discordance. Of prime importance are the records of Zebrina detrita and neoendemic species Alopia clathrata that have occupied this area since the Atlantic period (6370 ± 30 BP). Also other thermophilous snails (Helicodonta obvoluta, Truncatellina claustralis, Vitrea diaphana and V. subrimata) appeared very early, which may be due to the close vicinity of their glacial refugee in the Matra Region.
