The interglacial deposits at Zbójno near Radoszyce (central Poland) was drilled again and reinvestigated by means of pollen analysis. The pollen succession, partly recorded in subaerial sediments with many stratigraphic gaps, treated hitherto as the stratotype of Zbójnian interglacial, does not seem to differ from the Eemian sequence, and may actually be of the Eemian age. This strongly suggests that the term "Zbójno" should be removed from the Polish Pleistocene stratigraphy.
The aim of this study was to delimit lacustrine deposits underlaying present peatlands. On this basis, the location of water bodies in late Pleistocene and early Holocene was recognized. The lakes’ occurrence was presented on the background of geomorphological conditions. Lacustrine deposits occur mainly in depressions of the northern part of the Knyszyńska Forest. They are placed in upper parts of the Czapielówka River, Jałówka River, middle Sokołda River and upper Kumiałka River catchments. The thickness of gyttja varies between 0.4 and 2.5 m. These are detrital, calcareous and clay-calcareous gyttjas. Lacustrine sediments fill the bottoms of various meltout depressions. The origin of these depressions, as well as the whole glacial relief of the terrain, is often linked to deglaciation of the Warta ice sheet. However, kame deposits in the Janów village are younger than Warta glaciation. Moreover, the catchment relief of the upper Kumiałka River is similar to the relief which originates from Vistulian glaciation. Besides, there are boulder deposits directly under the lacustrine deposits. These three facts indicate a younger age of the melt-out depressions in the upper Kumiałka River catchment.
The article is focused on the most recent investigations of glaciotectonic structures in high escarpment exposures of the Vistula valley from Dobrzyń to Kuzki in the western part of the Płock Basin. Deformations involve Neogene and occasionally the Lower Pleistocene deposits and they are not expressed as landforms. Structural investigations and analysis of archival geological data provided new information on the origin of large-scale shear structures. Results obtained are clearly contrary to the concept of Brykczyński (1982) regarding valley-side glaciotectonics in the Płock Basin. An emergence of the extensive zone of serial thrust structures of significant amplitude (up to 100–150 m) was found to have not been controlled by a palaeovalley. A driving mechanism is interpreted as a gravity spreading in front of ice sheets advancing from north-northeast during the South Polish Complex (Dorst-Elsterian).
An important source of palaeoecological and palaeoenvironmental information is intra-specimen variability of isotopic composition of mammal tooth enamel. It reflects seasonal or behavioral changes in diet and climate occurring during a life of the animal. While well-known in ungulates, in carnivorans this variability is poorly recognized. However, carnivoran remains are amongst the most numerous in the Pleistocene fossil record of terrestrial mammals, so their isotopic signature should be of particular interest. The aim of the study was to verify if enamel of a fossil cave hyena (Crocuta crocuta spelaea) and a cave bear (Ursus ingressus) records any regular inter- or intra-tooth isotopic variability. We examined intra-individual variability of δ13C and δ18O values in permanent cheek teeth enamel of fossil cave hyena and cave bear from the site of the Perspektywiczna Cave (southern Poland). We conclude that the isotopic variability of the cave hyena is low, possibly because enamel mineralization took place when the animals still relied on a uniform milk diet. Only the lowermost parts of P3 and P4 enamel record a shift toward an adult diet. In the case of the cave bear, the sequence of enamel formation records periodic isotopic changes, possibly correlating with the first seasons of the animal life.
Hladnikia pastinacifolia RCHB., a narrow endemic, has an extremely restricted distribution in Trnovski gozd (Slovenia), despite the presence of many sites with suitable habitats. We compared the morphological traits of plants from different populations and habitats. The overall pattern showed that the smallest plants, with low fruit number, are found on Èaven (locus classicus or type locality); the largest individuals, with high fruit number, grow in the Golobnica gorge. As judged by plant size and seed set, the optimal habitats are screes. We used RAPD markers to estimate genetic variation between and within populations, as well as between and within the northern and the southern parts of the distribution area. Hladnikia showed only a low level of RAPD variability. AMOVA partitioned the majority of genetic diversity within selected populations. The low genetic differentiation between populations and their genetic depauperation indicates survival in situ, since the Trnovski gozd plateau most likely was a nunatak region in the southern Prealps during Pleistocene glaciations. Later range expansion of extant populations was limited by poor seed dispersal. We also analyzed the cpDNA trnL-F intergenic spacer to check whether the sequence is useful for studying the phylogenetic relationships of Hladnikia within the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae). Our results support the assertion that H. pastinacifolia is an old taxon.
An accumulation of glacial sediments is located near Písečná village in the depression between the Sokol Ridge
and Zlaté Hory Highlands NNE of Jeseník town (Eastern Sudetes). The accumulation lies at the lateral side
of the mountain valley of the Bělá River and fills a preglacial palaeovalley of this river. Research combining
facies analysis of outcrops, ground penetrating radar survey, interpretation drilling survey, and modelling of
the preglacial relief was undertaken at the site. According to the results obtained, the upper part of the sedimentary
accumulation represents a coarse-grained terminoglacial glaciofluvial delta of the Gilbert type. The
development of the accumulation has dominantly been driven by the preglacial morphology. Facies typical for
foresets of coarse-grained deltas represented mainly by high-density flows, cohesionless debris flows, debris
falls and less common low-density flows were found in the outcrops. The delta near Písečná prograded into
a lake dammed by the ice-sheet front in the north. The lake was bounded by the slopes of Sokol Ridge, Zlaté
Hory Highlands and Góry Parkowe on other sides. The lake level reached an altitude of up to 430 m a.s.l., as
the coarse-grained delta plain base lies at this level.
The Vistulian decline was a period of rapid environmental events. The authors correlated ages of the last Scandinavian Ice Sheet limits in northern Poland with ages of prominent events adapting the conditions of periglacial environment of Central Poland in response to the Late Vistulian climate warming. Ages from previous thematic geological and palaeogeographical studies were collected. The approach used indicates that despite methodological uncertainties and sometimes inconsistency of ages, it is especially helpful in timing of first warming signals (ca. 19–18 cal ka BP) and establishing of environmentally bipartite 3 millennia of the Oldest Dryas in the extraglacial zone. Abrupt warming at the onset of the Bølling-Allerød is well registered in biotic and abiotic archives available from Central Poland and remains in agreement with the large recession of the southern ice sheet margin.
The objective of this paper is a review of data on reconstruction of the Pleistocene palaeogeography (environment) and stratigraphy based on studies of karst sites in the Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross) Mountains. Although the number of known Pleistocene karst sites in this region is small, the investigations of them have played a crucial role in a research of the Pleistocene. The study of the Kozi Grzbiet site provided the first evidences for new climatostratigraphy and classification of glaciations in Poland. The explanation of genesis of cryogenic calcite crystals discovered in Chelosiowa Jama-Jaskinia Jaworznicka cave system started a new direction of palaeoenvironmental reconstructions of the last glacial period. Kadzielnia palaeontological site was one of the first Early Pleistocene fossil assemblages in karst studied in Poland, whereas Raj cave provided abundant palaeontological and archaeological material from the Last Glacial. Other sites are of less scientific importance, however some of them can be used in education and popularisation of geosciences. Small number of already studied sites does not exclude discoveries of next sites of high scientific importance.