The assemblage of lacustrine ostracods found in the Eemian Interglacial sediments at Kruklanki (Masurian Lake District, northeastern Poland) contains 18 species belonging to 13 genera. The most dominant species are Candona neglecta Sars, 1887, Limnocytherina sanctipatricii (Brady et Robertson, 1869), Limnocythere inopinala (Baird, 1843) and Candona candida (O.F. Muller, 1776). Cyclocypris serena (Koch, 1838), llyocypris decipiens Masi, 1905, Pseudocandona insculpta (G.W. Muller, 1900) and Leucocythere mirabilis Kaufmann, 1892 are recorded for the first time from the Eemian of Poland; the latter two species are also new for the Eemian lacustrine deposits of Europe. The ecological requirements of the recognised ostracod species as well as their geographic ranges in the Quaternary of Europe are summarised. Based on these data, past habitat type is estimated as a deeper littoral of a lake with reasonably cold, well-oxygenated and calcium-rich waters. The present state of knowledge of the Eemian ostracods from Poland is reviewed and their comparison with the Eemian ostracod assemblages from Europe is briefly given. Comparison of the ostracod fauna! assemblage from Kruklanki with those from other Eemian sites in Poland enables to establish and describe one general type of ostracod assemblages characteristic for lacustrine littoral in this interglacial.

This paper presents the results of palaeobotanical studies (pollen and plant macrofossil analyses) of the sediments from the profile Michałowo P-3 (Gródek-Michałowo Depression, NE Poland). At this profile the second bed of peat under Holocene peat and the layer of silts and sands was discovered. The pollen succession indicates that they were deposited, with some gaps, from the beginning of Eernian Interglacial to Early Vistulian. The local pollen zones, distinguished in the pollen diagram, correlate with the regional pollen stratigraphy of the Eemian Interglacial, but the pollen record of hornbeam (ES R PAZ) and spruce (E6 R PAZ) regional zones is absent in Michałowo. In the middle part of the Michałowo pine zone (Mi-5 Pinus L PAZ), a cool oscillation of climate is marked by an opening of forests and development of herb plant communities.

The aim of this study was to reconstruct the evolution of the Eemian palaeolake in the Żabieniec site (Garwolin Plain, Central Poland); it identifies changes in the water level and the trophic status of the lake resulting from panregional factors, including climate changes occurring during individual phases of the last interglacial, and local geologic-geomorphological factors shaping the palaeoenvironment using multi-proxy methods (palaeobotanical analyses, subfossil Cladocera and diatoms analyses as well as determinations of the stable isotopes). A record was obtained of all seven Regional Pollen Assemblage Zones (RPAZs) according to Mamakowa’s description of the Eemian pollen succession (1989), and of the changes in microfossil assemblages and isotopes in palaeolake sediments associated with lake evolution. Special attention was paid to the Middle Eemian RPAZ 4 (i.e. hazel phase) of the climatic optimum; all proxies associate this with the highest water level and a warm humid climate. During the E5/E6 RPAZs, the eutrophic lake transformed very quickly, and a transitional peatbog was formed. The higher humidity of the late Eemian resulted in another increase in water level. The multi-proxy record of the Żabieniec palaeolake which we obtained was compared to those of other Eemian water bodies in the Garwolin Plain and in Central Poland that exhibit sedimentation gaps especially during the younger part of the E5 RPAZ.