CLIMATE OF PLEISTOCENE PERIOD. 25 



CHAPTEE III. 



CLIMATE OF PLEISTOCENE PERIOD — TESTIMONY OF MAMMALIA. 



Geographical distribution of Mammals — Southern, Northern, and Temperate 

 Group — Evidence of Mammalia as to Climate — Present climatic conditions in 

 Europe, Northern Asia, and boreal regions of North America — Region of 

 Tundras and Barrens — Arctic Forest Zone — Annual Migrations in Siberia — 

 Similar Migrations cannot take place in Europe — Influence of the Gulf 

 Stream on European Climate — Probable effect of its withdrawal — Alterna- 

 tions of Climate during Palaeolithic Period. 



Among the most remarkable animals which are now well known 

 to have been contemporaneons with Palaeolithic man in Europe 

 are the lion, the hyaena, the serval, the Caffer cat, the hippopo- 

 tamus, the rhinoceros, the elephant, the mammoth, the woolly 

 rhinoceros, the musk-sheep, and others. Besides these there 

 were many species which still inhabit our Continent, but their 

 range at present is greatly restricted as compared with what it 

 was in the Old Stone Age. It is this latter circumstance, indeed, 

 that forms one of the most remarkable characteristics of the 

 mammalian fauna of Palaeolithic times. We cannot doubt that 

 the climatic conditions which permitted such a fauna to roam 

 over Europe must have differed very much from those of our 

 own day. And this will appear indisputable after we have 

 taken a glance at the present geographical distribution of some 

 of the more prominent species. The ossiferous remains occur in 

 such abundance and in so good a state of preservation that 

 osteologists have had no great difficulty in recognising those of a 

 number of animals which still survive in extra-European regions ; 

 and it is of the utmost importance, therefore, that we should 



