ARTICLE IN PRESS Quaternary International 149 (2006) 67–79 Likhvin Interglacial small mammal faunas of Eastern Europe Anastasia K. Markova Institute of Geography Russian Academy of Sciences, Staromonetny per., 29, Moscow 109017, Russia Available online 30 January 2006 Abstract Investigations of Middle Pleistocene deposits over the past several decades produced a significant mammal database that can be used to evaluate the complicated history of this interval in Eastern Europe. The most significant late Middle Pleistocene warm interval was the Likhvin Interglacial; among the stratigraphic horizons attributed to this interval are the Inzhavino fossil soil, alluvium of the fourth terraces of the main Eastern European rivers, and the Early Euxinian marine deposits of the Black Sea. Fifteen small mammal localities of Likhvin age have been recovered in different regions of the Russian Plain. The stratigraphical position of the faunas from key sections is quite definite: they occur above the Oka Glacial deposits and under the Kamenka and Romny late Middle Pleistocene fossil soils and Dnieper glacial deposits. These faunas are characterized by Arvicola cantianus, Lagurus transiens, Microtus (Pallasiinus) oeconomus, M. (Microtus) ex gr. arvalis, M. (Microtus) agrestis, and M. (Stenocranius) gregalis. Neither the rhizodont voles Mimomys and Pliomys, nor Microtus (Terricola) arvalidens and Microtus (Stenocranius) gregaloides have been recovered from these localities. According to recent data from Western Europe, the similar species composition and stratigraphical position are typical for the Holsteinian Interglacial mammal faunas. These faunas come from deposits covered by late Middle Pleistocene sediments and are correlated to OIS Stage 11. r 2005 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved. 1. Middle Pleistocene small mammal faunas of the Likhvin Picea. Such a composition suggests warm interglacial Interglacial conditions at the time of formation of the lake deposits. Later several sections with a similar plant species composi- 1.1. The history of investigation of the Likhvin deposits tion were found on the Russian Plain. Integrated studies of the Likhvin section were performed during the past Likhvin Interglacial deposits were first described in the decades by stratigraphers and paleontologists (Sudakova, Likhvin stratotype section located in the Oka drainage 1975; Agadjanian, 1977; Bolikhovskaya and Sudakova, basin near Chekalin town (formerly Likhvin town). The 1996). Recently, Oka Glacial deposits have been found not section, which is unique in many respects, has been under in the main section but near the stratotype. Deposits of the investigation since the end of the 19th century. Its main earlier Don Glaciation have been found in the base of the stratigraphical features were described by Bogolubov Likhvin section (Figs. 1 and 3, Likhvin). Agadjanian and (1904), Moskvitin (1931), Markov (1939) and Ushko Alexandrova described the fauna of small mammals, which (1959). These authors established two horizons of glacial were found in lake sapropel deposits with an interglacial deposits, an interlaced complicated suite with ancient flora (Likhvin Interglacial deposits) and also in other interglacial lake deposits, and overlaying stratified and layers of this stratotype area (from Dnieper Glacial unstratified deposits. The lower glacial horizon was deposits and from Oka Glacial strata) (Agadjanian, 1977; correlated with the Oka Glaciation and the upper till was Alexandrova, 1982). referred to the Dnieper Glaciation (Markov et al., 1965). Grichuk (1961, 1989) described the pollen spectra derived 1.2. Geographical distribution of the Likhvin small mammal from the interglacial lacustrine deposits and established the localities specific species composition, including broadleaved plants (Quercus, Tilia, Ulmus, Carpinus), as well as Abies and Likhvin faunas were recovered from various parts of the Russian Plain, including the Oka, Don, Dnieper, E-mail address: [email protected]. Danube, Prut, Kama, and Kuma river drainage basins. 1040-6182/$ - see front matter r 2005 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2005.11.019 ARTICLE IN PRESS 68 A.K. Markova / Quaternary International 149 (2006) 67–79 Fig. 1. The geology of Likhvin (Chekalin) stratotype section (after Bolikhovskaya and Sudakova, 1996). The northernmost localities were found at approximately The fauna from the Likhvin stratotype section (sapropel 571N and the southernmost on the Black Sea coast deposits) includes Desmana sp., Apodemus cf. sylvaticus, (451N) and in the Kuma drainage basin in the Northern Clethrionomys glareolus, Microtus malei and water vole Caucasus (441N) (Fig. 3). Arvicola cantianus ( ¼ mosbachesis) remains, which is characterized by a Mimomys—like enamel structure of 1.3. Small mammal species composition the teeth and by small sizes (Agadjanian, 1977). The vole described by A. Agadjanian as Microtus malei should, in The Likhvin small mammal faunas have been studied by the opinion of the author, be referred to the Microtus several paleontologists (Agadjanian, 1977; Markova, 1982, arvalis group. Rhizodont voles Mimomys and Pliomys, 1992, 1998; Motuzko, 1985; Rekovets, 1994). and also microtines Microtus (Terricola) arvalidens and ARTICLE IN PRESS A.K. Markova / Quaternary International 149 (2006) 67–79 69 Microtus (Stenocranius) gregaloides have not been found Several sites with Likhvin-like fauna were found in the in this locality (Tables 1and 2; Fig. 2). Don drainage basin (Verkhnaya Emancha, Strelitsa, In the Dnieper drainage basin, a similar fauna is known Vladimirovka, Mikhailovka 3) (Table 1, Figs. 2 and 3) from the Gunki locality. It occurs in fluvial deposits of the (Agadjanian, 1977; Markova, 1982, 1992; Agadjanian and fourth terrace of the Psel River, the left tributary of the Erbaeva, 1983; Agadjanian and Glushankova, 1986). The Dnieper (Fig. 3). The layer with bones is overlain by a thick fossiliferous layers occur under the Kamenka and Romny loess–paleosol sequence and also by glacial deposits of paleosols (Table 2). However, Dnieper till has not been Dnieper age. Between the Dnieper till and the fossiliferous recorded in these sites, as the Dnieper ice-sheet did not layer, there are two well-pronounced paleosols and two penetrate to the Don drainage basin. The species composi- loess horizons. These soils have been described as tion of these localities is very close to the Likvin faunas Kamenka (lower) and Romny (upper) soils (Velichko situated in the Dnieper and Oka basins (Table 1). et al., 1997). Sapropel, containing small mammal remains, Three localities of similar species composition were yielded pollen spectra typical for the Likhvin Interglacial found on the southwestern part of the Russian Plain (Gubonina, 1980). Malacofauna recovered from the same outside the Dnieper ice-sheet (Tiraspol, Inzhavino paleosol horizon was correlated with the Early Euxinian transgres- layer, Dniester basin; Uzmari, Prut basin; Ozernoe, sion of the Black Sea by Chepalyga (Velichko et al., 1997). Danube basin) (Tables 1 and 2; Figs. 2 and 3)(Mikhailesku The Gunki small mammal fauna is significantly richer than and Markova, 1992). In the Tiraspol locality the small the fauna from the Likhvin section and contains about mammal bones came from mole burrows of the Inzhavino 1500 identified bones of small mammals, mostly rodents fossil soil horizon, which is correlated with the Likhvin (Markova, 1982). This fauna includes abundant remains of Interglacial. The full Pleistocene loess–paleosol sequence is the water vole Arvicola cantianus. Lagurids are represented represented in the Tiraspol section. Here the Inzhavino soil by the advanced type of steppe lemming Lagurus transiens. is overlain by four paleosols alternating with loess horizons Rhizodont voles of Mimomys and Pliomys genera and also (Briansk, Mikulino, Romny, and Kamenka fossil soils) and Terricola-like microtines such as Microtus (Terricola) overlies the loess horizon, the Vorona fossil soil and fluvial arvalidens and Microtus (Stenocranius) gregaloides are deposits of the Dniester river (Mikhailesku and Markova, lacking here (Tables 1 and 2). 1992; Dodonov et al., this volume). The Ozernoe and The fauna of this evolutionary level was suggested to be Uzmari fluvial deposits with small mammal remains lie described as the Gunkovian assemblage (Markova, 1990), under the complicated loess–paleosol series with a number which is presumably synchronous with the Singilian large of fossil soils. Thus, in the Ozernoe locality, the alluvium of mammalian age, determined by Gromov (1948) and the fourth Danube terrace with bone remains is covered Alexeeva (1977). Unfortunately, the stratotype of the by a loess–paleosol sequence, including four fossil soils Singilian fauna in the Volga drainage basin near the town (the Late Pleistocene Briansk and Mikulino soils, and of Raigorod contains only few small mammal remains, also the late Middle Pleistocene Romny and Kamenka collected by L. Alexandrova in 1965 (Number 824 of the soils) (Mikhailesku and Markova, 1992; Markova, 1996) Geological Institute RAS collections). Among these are a (Tables 1 and 2). transitional form of Lagurus transiens—L. lagurus, Eola- The most southeastern locality, Otkaznoe, was found in gurus luteus, Microtus (Stenocranius) gregalis, Microtus mole burrows of the Inzhavino paleosol in the middle arvalinus, Microtus oeconomus, Ellobius sp. and Spermo- Kuma river drainage basin, near Georgievsk town, North- philus sp. (Tesakov, pers. comm.).