The Quaternary origins of the modern British mammal fauna

Abstract

T h r origins of the modrrn British mammal fauna as a rrcognizable assemblage arr tracrablr through prcccding tcmpcraic woodland phasrs at least as far back as the early part of the Middle Plristocene. Earlier Quaternary mammal asscmhlagrs have more in common with those of the Pliocrnc than thosr of the Middlr Plcistorme, but cvidcncc for gaps in the British Early Plcisiocenc sequcnce prrciudes inferences concerning the nature of this changc in faunal composition.A major dificulty in reconstructing Quaternary faunal histories is in establishing stablr corrrlations between the fragmentary terrestrial sequences from which the fossil record has bccri mbling thosr srquences into chronological order. Existing reconstructions of Quaternary rvenLs in Britain are of hybrid origin, a mix of palynological biostratigraphy based on assumed monocyclic floral successions for a small number of major interglacial stages, with iritervcning cold stages identified by characteristic glacial or periglacial lirhologies and strurtures. LVhile this framework has scrvrd as a useful basis lor some Quaternary disciplines, some inirrprrtations of the mammalian evidencr do not fit it well.Attention is given here io inlormation derived from fossil mammal assemblages which may be used to help driermine the number and srqurnce of Middle and Latc Plcistoccne temperate woodland phases with faunas showing close links with that of the Flandrian. While much of this information is not new, i t has been largdy ignored in thc construction of some of the more widely known schrmcs for Qiiatrrnary subdivision. At present five such rpisodcs can be idctiiified and charactcrizrd prior to thc prcscrit intcrglacial, though further refinement may br possible as work on a more drtailed account of key sitrs arid their palaeontology progressrs.

Middle Pleistocene interglacial deposits at Barling, Essex, England: evidence for a longer chronology for the Thames terrace sequence

“…Mammalian assemblages from Grays and Purfleet, in the latter case supplemented by recent reinvestigation of the site, provide support for attribution to marine OIS 9 (Schreve, 1997, in press). Both Grays (Currant, 1989) and Purfleet (Allen, 1977;Preece, 1995) have been regarded as intermediate in age between the Hoxnian and the last interglacial, as represented in the Lower Thames at Swanscombe and Trafalgar Square, respectively. Sediments at both sites are largely sands and silts and generally lack richly organic material, as a result of which their palynological records are of limited value (Gibbard, 1994).…”

Pleistocene fluvial sediments, palaeontology and archaeology of the upper River Thames at Latton, Wiltshire, England

“…However, most significantly with regard to Latton, horse is not recorded from any British site that can reliably be attributed to the Last Interglacial during which time it is supposed that the major reason for its absence was a lack of adequate grazing (Currant, 1989;Sutcliffe, 1995). Indeed, the faunal lists from Last Interglacial deposits are dominated by species with a preference for woodland habitat (Schreve, 1997) which suggests that the Latton horse belongs in MIS 7 or an earlier interglacial.…”

“…The Latton mammoth is a relatively small form identified at a number of British late Middle Pleistocene sites (notably Ilford, Aveley and Stanton Harcourt) and is generally recognised as a biostratigraphic indicator for MIS 7. The forestadapted straight-tusked elephant, rather than mammoth, is a key member of faunas attributed to MIS 5e (Currant, 1989;Sutcliffe, 1995).…”

Correlation of English and German Middle Pleistocene fluvial sequences based on mammalian biostratigraphy

“…A combination of horse (Equus ferus), humans (Homo sp.) (attested to by artefacts and butchery marks on bones) and Merck's rhinoceros clearly differentiates the fauna of the Purfleet MAZ from those of the Ipswichian Interglacial (Currant, 1989;Sutcliffe, 1995a).…”