TERTIARY MAMMAL HORIZONS. 



31 



2. Plaisan'cien. -j 



I. Messinien. 



Maximum marine subapoDiine inva- 

 sion, long arms of the sea up the Po and 

 Rhone valleys. Mediterranean ex- 

 tends to the East. (Argiles bleues 

 subapennines). Chiefly marine de- 

 posits. 



Renewed advance of the sea, brack- 

 ish and freshwater conditions. Medi- 

 terranean bounded by Sardinia on the 

 east ; great Caspian seas and Itvkes be- 

 .vond. 



Mammalian fauna 

 unknown, except that 

 of Casino at the base 

 of this stage. 



Fauna of Piker mi 

 and Eppclshcini, 



Climate. — Owing to the warm Mediterranean invasion the cH- 

 mate was mild. Deperet, our chief authority ('93, p. 529), 

 shows that there was no decided change of flora ; nevertheless 

 the period was marked by the very gradual advance of northern 

 forest types and by tlje recession of the more delicate southern 

 types, the palms for example being driven 10 degrees further 

 south. The decisive lowering of temperature came during the 

 early Pleistocene period. 



1. Messinien, Lower Pliocene 



During the first or Messinien stage th*e fauna of the lake- 

 bound /Egean region (Pikermi), altogether similar to that of 

 Southern France (Mt. Leberon), indicates abundant if not highly 

 watered vegetation and extensive grazing pasturages of central 

 African type. This fauna was widely distributed and highly dis- 

 tinctive ; the parallels are numerous and well known. 



Orient. Pike mi — typical southern fauna. 



Samos ( .Egean Sea), Maragha (Persia). 

 France. Mt. Leberon (Vaucluse). 



Molasse cV eau dotice siiperienre dii KJione (higher than beds of same 



name in Switzerland). 

 Cueuron (Couches saumatres). Puy Coiirny (Cantal)." 

 Austro- Belvedere Schotter, fluviatile gravels (Pontique, Deperet, '92. p. 



Hungary. 156, Congeria Beds, Vienna Basin). 



Spain. C ncud (Ebre Valley, near Madrid, a very extensive lacustrine for- 



mation), ' Alcoi. 

 Germany. Eppehheim gravels (4-7 metres), near Darmstadt. 



Upper Dinothtriiim sands, of Augsburg, Neuburg, Delsberg. 



Distinctive types of this stage are Plioliylobates (P^ppelsheim), 

 Hystrix (Pikermi), Pliohyrax (Samos) Hippavioii gracilc. Accra- 



