The floral and faunal succession of „Cueva del Toll", Spain

Abstract

The deposits of "Cueva del Toll" near Moya (province of Barcelona, Spain) have been studied pollen analytically. The sequence shows an oscillation between pine forest (up to 80% pine pollen), representing a humid and temperate climate, and open vegetation (only 30% pine pollen), representing phases of dry and warm climate. The same changes appear in the composition of the mammalian fossil fauna, and also in the lithology of the cave deposits. The two temperate and humid phases represented in „Cueva del Toll" are correlated with the Early and Main Würm respectively; the warm and dry oscillations represent the Eem interglacial, the Göttweig interstadial, and the end of Würm. This climatic sequence is in agreement with the Würm sequence of Middle Europe. The leading fossil mammal of the Göttweig phase in this cave is the cave bear; it appears to be most closely akin to the Gailenreuth form in Middle Europe, and differs by its larger size from the Early Würm and interglacial populations.