THE PLEISTOCENE OF HUNGARY

Before considering in detail the vertebrate faunas of the Pleistocene of Hungary, the sedimentary rocks which have provided vertebrate finds are briefly described. 

We do not know how far the hippopotamus, so common in the Lower and Middle Pleistocene of western and southern Europe, penetrated the Carpathian Basin, but this is (together with that of t)rom) the second occurrence in the thoroughly investigated fauna of the Pleistocene of Hungary. Geologically identical age of the two localities is therefore probable. 

Chronology of the Pleistocene of Hungary based on vertebrate faunas... 

In the present work, after a brief treatment of facies aspects with the inclusion of virtually complete documentary material, I have analysed all the significant vertebrate faunas and a few of the sporadic finds from the Pleistocene of Hungary. 

It was mainly the large-sized sheep fossils in the fauna collected by Vertes which aroused my suspicion that here we had evidence of a phase of the Pleistocene hitherto unknown, since the rich fossil material from the Lower and Upper Pleistocene of Hungary had not contained Ovis finds until then. 

Nine-tenths of the surface or near-surface sediments of Hungary were deposited during the Pleistocene. This fact alone is sufficiently significant to indicate that special attention should be paid to the biochronological problems of this era. 

A unified approach to the treatment of the whole material in question is made somewhat difficult by the variability, and, therefore, individual aspects of the various strata. As mentioned above. Pleistocene sedimentary rocks are extensive in Hungary and the state of research on these sediments is uniquely advanced in international terms. The basis for the stratigraphy was provided by the mass of small-mammal remains accumulated in statistically significant amounts in karstic hollows. We may extrapolate from these findings and date regional sediments which also contain microfauna, which are unfortunately only individual finds. 

Large portion of the surface Pleistocene sediments of Hungary are covered by loess or loess-like sediments which extend over the foothills up to a height of 400 m above sea level. The loess and its genesis have received considerable attention in the literature (Bulla, 1938 Krivan, 1955 Pecsi, 1965, etc.). 

If we review the sporadical finds from regionally extending loess and loess-like sediments of Hungary, there are hardly any remains undoubtedly older than the Upper Pleistocene, merely a few fossils which could possibly be allocated to lower strata. 

The oldest loess-like sediments referable to the Lower Pleistocene have been found in Hungary at locality no. 5 at Vill ny, locality no. 4 imbedded in the freshwater limestone of Dunaalmds and locality no. 2 at Somssich Hill. These rocks, however, cannot be considered as typical loess because originally they were situated in cracks and crevices or deposited on freshwater limestone. They thus show a somewhat intermediate character, similar to cave loess. Similarly, we may refer the Lower Pleistocene material of the yellow layers of locality no. 8 at Villany to cave loesses (Kretzoi, 1956), in which the fauna elements indicate a cool, dry environment at the time of deposition. 

As is well known, the karstic forms of the limestone mountains of Hungary developed during the Pliocene and the Pleistocene, and the filling up, multiple secondary limestone deposition and high lime content render them superbly suited for fossilization of bone remains. Especially important are the smaller caves, fissures and hollows, since these are the karstic formations which have preserved the vertebrate remains of the geohistorical phase we are most interested in, and these are the finds on which a microstratigraphical series unique in Europe could be based. 

There is no published review of the faunas of cave sediments and karstic formations of Hungary apart from the fauna lists presented by Mottl (1941), the Upper Pleistocene cave finds given in Vertes s (1965) book and some smaller treatises on the faunas of local regions (Villdny mountains Kormos, 1937b Kretzoi, 1956 Osztramos locality complex Janossy and Kordos, 1976b). 

Locality no. 7 of Osztramos, a crevice thought to represent the oldest Pleistocene locality of Hungary, because of its similarities with the Csarnota locality is also described. 

Elsewhere (J nossy, 1965b, 1969a), I have elaborated on my reasons for not identifying this series of layers with any other Pleistocene fauna of Hungary. The following are my main reasons for relegating the material to either a typical Biharian stage or to the Upper Pleistocene. 

A problem common all over Europe is also prevalent in Hungary, i.e. the fauna succession is disrupted in one or another phase of the Middle Pleistocene. Starting from the series of the Villany mountains and Osztramos, through the series of layers of the Tarkd rock shelter, including V6rtessz616s and the Varbarlang (Castle... 

As I have already repeatedly mentioned, Upper Pleistocene sediments are the most widespread, both regionally and in caves, as in the whole of Europe and in Hungary, as well. Although the fauna of this phase is the best characterized of all the phases, and is described either as that containing mammoths, woolly rhinoceros , or cave bear, reindeer , or a faunal wave with ptarmigan and lemming , there are deficiencies in two respects ... 

Fig. 43. Stratigraphical position of the vertebrate palaeontological localities of Hungary from the Lower Pleistocene.

Fig. 48. Stratigraphical distribution in Hungary of some characteristic Upper Pleistocene vertebrates. The thickness of the lines gives approximate frequencies of the various taxa during this period.

The above should be borne in mind as a background to the following review of the Pleistocene microstratigraphical series of Hungary. The outline presented here is based on Kretzoi (1953 1965 1969 etc.), Jdnossy (1969a 1978a etc.) and unpublished data. 

There are few remnants of this substage in Hungary apart from a few fissure faunas (nos. 1, 2, and 3 of Csarnota, locality no. 7 of Osztramos and the travertine of Sutto), all Pleistocene transitional faunas, only a single record from bore samples in the basin sediment of the Great Hungarian Plain (Mindszent, 650 m) testifies to this phase. 

The Lower Pleistocene is conventionally characterized in Hungary by the Vil-lanyium stage (faunal complex) (Kretzoi, 1941b). Its biostratotype is locality no. 3 of Villany (the quarry of Villdny). Here animal assemblages of definitely puszta-steppic environmental conditions are recorded, in contrast with the warm and... 

Janossy, D., 1965a. Vertebrate microstratigraphy of the Middle Pleistocene in Hungary. Acta Geologica, 9 145-152. 

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