New finding of the horse (Equus ferus germanicus Nehring, 1804) in the Upper Pleistocene loess at Stradonice near Nižbor
Published online: 15 June 2018 Balatka, B. - Kalvoda, J. (2008): Evolution of Quaternary river terraces related to the uplift of the central part of the Bohemian Massif. - Sbor. Čes. geogr. Spol. 113, 205-222. Balatka, B. - Loučková, J. (1992): Terasový systém a vývoj údolí Berounky. - Stud. geogr. 96, 1-53. Diedrich, C. G. (2007): Upper Pleistocene Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810) skeleton remains from Praha-Podbaba and other lion finds from loess and river terrace sites in Central Bohemia (Czech Republic). - Bull. Geosci. 82, 99-117. Havlíček, V., red. (1987, 1993): Vysvětlivky k základní geologické mapě ČSSR 1 : 25 000, list 12-411 Beroun. Základní geologická mapa 1 : 25 000, list 12-411 Beroun.- 100 str., 1 mapa. Ústř. úst. geol. Praha. Knížek, M. (2013): Radiální tektonika Barrandienu. Dis. pr. - MS Přírodověd. fak. Masaryk. univ. Brno. Ložek, V. (2001): Chráněná území ve světle své krajinné historie. Křivoklátsko - královský les ve středu Čech. - Ochr. Přír. 56, 103-107. Ložek, V. (2017): Karlštejn - Altán: pleistocenní souvrství, jeho fosilní půdy a malakofauna. - Čes. Kras 43, 5-12. Ložek, V. - Žák, K. (2011): Sedimenty terciéru a kvartéru a geomorfologický vývoj na Křivoklátsku. - Bohemia cent. 31, 49-94. Petrbok, J. (1956): Český kras ve výzkumu do roku 1950. - Anthropozoikum 5 (1955), 9-46. Šída P. - Moravcová, M. -Vokounová Franzeová, D. - Blažková, K. (2015): Gravetské osídlení v Lubné. Nálezy do roku 1960. - Font. Arch. Prag. 42, 1-232. Tyráček, J. (1991): The Beroun complex and the Lower Pleistocene stratigraphy. - Sbor. geol. Věd, Antropozoikum 20, 143-154. Tyráček, J. - Westaway, R. - Bridgland, D. (2004): River terraces of the Vltava and Labe (Elbe) system, Czech Republic, and their implications for the uplift history of the Bohemian Massif. - Proc. Geol. Assoc. 115, 101-124. Vachtl, J. (1949): Soupis lomů ČSR. 31, okres Beroun. - 102 str. St. geol. úst. ČSR. Praha. Žák, K. - Bosák, P. - Bruthans, J. (2016): The Bohemian Karst: A condensed record of landscape and living nature evolution. In: Pánek, T. - Hradecký, J., ed.: Landscapes and Landforms of the Czech Republic, 59-72. - Springer Int. Publ. Switzerland. Žák, K. - Kolčava, M. - Horáček, I. - Živor, R. (2015): Evidence jeskyní Českého krasu: Doplňky a změny za období od 1. října 2013 do 30. září 2015 a novinky ve výzkumu jeskyní. - Čes. Kras 41, 53-57.Abstract
A new fossiliferous Upper Pleistocene section located on slopes of the Berounka River valley was found at the village of Stradonice (Beroun District, Czech Republic). The section (marked as A in the text below) lies approx. 35 m above the present-day level of the river. It consists of prevailing mixed eolian-deluvial and eolian sediments with exposed thickness of 90 cm. The finding includes fragments of a horse mandible (Equus ferus germanicus Nehring, 1804), rare mollusks (Pupilla muscorum, Pupilla triplicata, Helicopsis striata) and bones, and bone fragments of small vertebrates (Microtus gregalis/arvalis, Microtus sp.). The collagen of horse bones yielded a calibrated radiocarbon age of 29 366-28 771 BC, chronologically fitting into the Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3), a period of variable climate prior to the onset of the Last Glacial Maximum. A layer of brown-red soil with cubic to polyhedral structure which may belong to MIS 2 sits on the top of eolian deposits. The exposed section is covered by recent soil containing ceramic shards and animal bones coming from a period stretching from the Middle Ages until today (the oldest bone is 1 458-1 539 cal. AD). Another section (marked as B) lying at a distance of ca 20 m from section A, and 4 m higher, and close to the upper edge of the gorge, was identified. It consists of eolian-deluvial sediments also corresponding to MIS 3, and containing rare mollusks (Pupilla muscorum, Helicopsis striata) and seeds of yew (Taxus baccata).
The age of section A can in general be compared to the occurrence of macrofauna found in nearby locality at Hýskov (2 km downstream), located at a similar height above the current river level. On the contrary, the section at Karlštejn-Altán (17 km downstream), developed at the same level, is apparently much older (probably MIS 9-7), and its lithology is also markedly different.References