402 THE AGE OF MAMMALS 



the E. antiquus stage. ''The flora of tlie Quaternary tuffs," observes 

 Saporta, "is composed almost entirely of woody forms living in valleys and 

 by the sides of streams." It is for the most part analogous with the present 

 flora of Provence. Of the thirty-seven species, twenty-nine still occur in 

 this region. Among the forms which have since retreated to the south are 

 the sweet bay {Laurus nobilis) and another species of laurel (L, canariensis) 

 which is now confined to the Canaries. The greater humidity of the time 

 is indicated by the presence of species of pines which require more moisture. 

 As in the Norfolk Interglacial the figs (Ficus) and the Judas trees (Cercis) 

 flourished. The ash (Fraxinus) is of a species now found in Corsica and 

 Italy. On the whole the forest trees and forest ground flora are surprisingly 

 modern, including oaks, elms, poplars, willows, lindens, maples, sumacs, 

 dogwood, hawthorn. Among the climbing plants are the vine (Vitis) and 

 clematis (Clematis). 



First Faunal Sub-zone 



The life of this zone is typified by the fauna of Mosbach, of Rixdorf, 

 and of Siissenborn. It is the Elephas trogontherii stage of Pohlig. 



This stage opens with the more temperate climate of the long, warm, 

 interglacial period known as the Mindel-Riss of Penck. This period was 

 first observed by Lyell and Evans in England, and subsequently recognized 

 in Germany and France. Geologically the deposits are of fluviatile origin, 

 consisting chiefly of river sands and gravels, in which the remains of hippo- 

 potamus, of Dicerorhinus merckii, and of Elephas trogontherii occur. These 

 animals were formerly cited as evidence of south temperate climate, but 

 the evidence of the equally numerous northern types and the temperate 

 flora tends to modify extreme views as to temperature. 



The geographic connections of Europe with the south through the land 

 bridges of Lower Pleistocene times still persisted, because the depression 

 of the southern portions of the continent of Europe had not yet begun. 



Among the chief localities are the following: 



Mosbach, near the Neckar in northern Baden (Fig. 176, 12). 



SussENBORN, near Weimar, Germany (11). 



Rixdorf, near Potsdam, Germany (10). 



St. Roch, France. 



Clacton, Essex, England (13). 



Mauer Sands, near Heidelberg (14). 



The most typical fauna is that of Mosbach} Here are found all the 

 characteristic types of the period, the hippopotamus (H. major), the urus 

 (Bos primigenius) , the bison (B. priscus), the rhinoceros (D. merckii), two 

 species of mammoth (E. antiquus, E. trogontherii) , horses (E. f cahallus). 



1 Lepsius, R., Genlogio von Deutschland und den Angrenzenden Gebieten. Erster Teil: 

 Das Westliche und Siidliche Deutschland. Stuttgart, 1892. 



