248 ANNALS NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



Pleistocene times^ and in late Glacial and Postglacial times they occur as 

 companions of the mammoth and the woolly rhinoceros. 



Alpine Mammals, Cold Fauna. — During the severe conditions of late 

 Pleistocene times the Alpine mammals were driven down into the plains 

 or to the lower mountains and hills, and their remains occur principally 

 during the last Glacial advance. They are represented both in the draw- 

 ings and in the sculptures of the men of the reindeer or cave period. 



Idex prise HS Steinbock Primitive ibex 



Rupicapra tragus Gemse Chamois 



Ovis argaloides (Altai Mts.) Argalischaf Argali sheep 



Arvicola nivalis Schneemaus Alpine vole 



Lagopus alpinus Gebirgssehneehuhn Ptarmigan 



Steppe Fauna of Russia and Siberia. — Steppe conditions of climate 

 were rendered possible in Europe by the elevation and extension of land 

 much farther to the north and northwest than at present. At such 

 periods all the tempering influences of the Atlantic Ocean were cut off 

 from northern Europe and helped to give central Europe a cold, dry con- 

 tinental climate favorable to dust storms. 



Boule, Kobelt^^ and Scharff^'' have agreed in the opinion that the pres- 

 ence of steppe mammals affords inadequate proof of steppe conditions in 

 the country. Other authors (Hilzheimer, 1913), however, strongly sus- 

 tain the steppe-climate theory. The evidence for steppe conditions of 

 climate has been strengthened in recent years by the discovery of three 

 successive loess deposits. 



The steppe regions of eastern Europe around the Caspian Sea and of 

 central Asia still maintain this highly characteristic steppe fauna. The 

 climate is usually one of hot, dry summers with high winds and prolonged 

 cold winters with sweeping snow storms. The animals are consequently 

 very hardy. The fauna includes the jerboa, suslik, bobac marmot, dwarf 

 pica, hamsters, northern voles, corsac fox, the manul, or Pallas's cat 

 (Felis manul). Covering the plains are the larger grazing animals such 

 as the saiga antelopes, wild asses and wild horses (including the Equus 

 przewalslcii type). Another animal which probably belonged to the 

 Steppe fauna is the Elasmotherium. 



Elasmotherium siMricmn-^ Elasmothere 



Equus przeicalskii Wild Gobi horse 



" hemionus Dschiggetai Dzeggetai, wild ass, kiang 



28 KoBELTj W. : Die Verbreitung der Tierwelt. Gemassigte Zone. Leipzig, 1902. 



27 SCHAEFF, R. F. : The Historj' of the European Fauna. London, 1899. 



^ Gaudry, Albert, and Boule. Marcelli.v : Materiaux pour I'Histoire des Temps 

 Quaternaires. Trois. Fasc. L'Elasmotherium. 4to. Libr. F. Savy, pp. 83-104, pll. xvt- 

 xix. Paris. 1876. 



