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Paleozoic glaciation as an analog for Quaternary glacial cycles?
Kubíček, Martin ; Laurin, Jiří (advisor) ; Laibl, Lukáš (referee)
This bachelor thesis is focused on the comparison of the two main glacial periods of the Phanerozoic, the Late Paleozoic Ice Age and the Cenozoic Ice Age including Pleistocene. The main goal of the thesis is to compare the factors of glaciation and their controlling mechanisms on short and long-term scales, and the basic features of the Earth's circulation. Last but not least, the evaluation of unresolved questions and consideration of the possibility of using data from the Cenozoic, which point to a very complex behaviour of the climate system components. In both periods compared, the main climate driver appears to be the atmospheric greenhouse gas content. Another common feature is the declining trend in temperature, manifested initially by a less significant and ephemeral glaciation during the Upper Devonian, Eocene and Oligocene. The transition to the coldest phases with the lowest average temperature and the largest ice volume is characteristic. Based on CO2 content, amplitude of glacioeustatic oscillations or Milankovitch cycles, a sequence of several glaciation events in the Serpukhovian to Sakmarian interval can be considered as an analogue of the Pleistocene. The difference from the Pleistocene glaciation is presence of a large number of glaciation centres in the Gondwana area. Some...
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Mustelid carnivores of Central Europe in the Quaternary fossil record
Vencová, Barbora ; Horáček, Ivan (advisor) ; Kyselý, René (referee)
The present paper reports results of detailed examination of fossil record of mustelid carnivores deposited in the collections of Faculty of Science, Charles University and National Museum Prague. In total 414 items were analyzed coming from 136 Quaternary and Pliocene community samples (6 MN51-17, 8 Q1, 10 Q2, 2 Q3, 104 Q4) of diverse sites in Czech Republic and Slovakia. Results of detailed biometrical analysis compared with corresponding data obtained in a set of extant taxa (204 ind. 8 spp.) and extensive literary resources revealed presence of 16 taxa (9 extant, 7 fossil). Larger samples enabling a more detailed analysis were available for the genus Martes, and in particular for a groups of Mustela nivalis - M.erminea which composed 77% of all fossil records. The earliest items (MN15-MN17) co-identified with M.pliocaenica conform well to expected common ancestor of both extant species. Yet, also those from the Early Pleistocene (MN17-Q2: M.praenivalis, M.plioerminea) show certain differences, which suggest that phenotype morphocline establishing extant populations established only during the Middle Pleistocene (Q3). A particularly rich sample available from the present glacial cycle (mostly continuous Vistulian - Holocene sequences) revealed unexpected predominance of the glacial records...
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Distribution and pattern morphology of pseudomorphs of thermal-conctraction-cracks features in Austria
Dufek, Jaroslav ; Křížek, Marek (advisor) ; Margold, Martin (referee)
During the cold Pleistocene episodes, the territory of Austria was at the forefront of nearby Alpine glaciation. The unglaciated area of Austria was part of the Central European periglacial zone, in which permafrost developed. The distribution of Upper Pleistocene permafrost, its character, but also its time classification in the western part of the Pannonian Basin is still unclear. It is also because ideas about the characteristics of Upper Pleistocene permafrost in this area have so far been based mainly on indirect biological or lithological records such as pollen grains, malacofauna snails, or loess-paleosol sequences. Until now, the evidence of direct geo-indicators of paleo-permafrost has been relatively limited, with unique relict frost-wedges, cryoturbations, or sporadic remains of thermokarst lakes depressions and pingos. The results present a new database of relict frost-wedges in Austria, which was created based on published literary sources, but mainly based on aerial imaginary available on Google Earth Pro. The results significantly expand (by hundreds of localities) the existing knowledge about the occurrence of relict frost-wedges, which have so far been located in Austria purely on the basis of excavated profiles and soil probes. The found polygons of frost-wedge pseudomorphs are an...
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The catalogue of the mammalian fauna of pleistocenne localities in Prague area
Havlová, Tereza ; Mazuch, Martin (advisor) ; Kadlecová, Eva (referee)
More than a hundred sites were in Prague in the past, where skeletal remains of Pleistocene mammals had been found. Most of these sites were brickyards or sand pits. These pits were in operation during the second half of the 19th century and first half of the 20th century. Many awards were found during construction works as well. Most of researchers attended only several most famous sites at the time of the findings. The catalog summarizes the basic known information about majority of Prague localities and includes a list of taxa wich were found there. Key words: Prague, locality, mammals, Pleistocene, brickyards, sand pits
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Quaternary insects and their significance for zoogeography, paleoclimatology and paleoecology
Moudrý, Jakub ; Prokop, Jakub (advisor) ; Říhová, Dagmar (referee)
The present thesis is a review of available published data on Quaternary insects. Research focused on Quaternary insects has been so far overlooked by the Czech scientists, even though there is potential to provide additional data for complex reconstruction of Quaternary deposits. Insect faunas allow to trace the dynamic development of areas across continents and serve for example as proof of migration routes. It is especially true for the Pleistocene, well known for prominent climatic oscillations. Thus, the insect species served as climatic indicators allowing estimations of average temperatures by application of the MCR method. Finally, these faunal changes reflect dynamic development of palaeoenvironments. The fact that the subfossil taxa correspond to the recent species allows broader reconstruction of the Quaternary deposits.
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Hamsters (Rodentia, Cricetinae) in the Quaternary fossil record of Czech Republic and Slovakia
Lebedová, Klára ; Horáček, Ivan (advisor) ; Wagner, Jan (referee)
1 Abstract The material of hamster remains in the Quaternary fossil assemblages from Czech Republic and Slovakia was analyzed in details with aid of biometric comparisons and contextual analyses focused on stratigraphic position of particular records and structure of the small mammals communities accompanying them. Cricetus as well as small hamsters (Allocricetus-Cricetulus) were recorded in all main Quaternary biozones (MN17-Q4). Yet Cricetus was recorded in few assemblages only mostly just with a single specimen only, except for several Q2 sites and those from the present glacial cycle (with peak abundance in preboreal and boreal). Despite obvious common trends (enlarging size from MN17 to Q3) all samples show roughly the same pattern of dental variation supporting a concept of Cricetus as a monotypic genus with a single species, C. cricetus covering all fossil forms separated as its subspecies. Correspondingly, our results support congeneric status of MN17-Q3 Allocricetus and Q4 Cricetulus, despite separating them as independent species, i.e., Cricetulus bursae and Cricetulus migratorius. Analysis of subrecent samples of C. migratorius from Turkey revealed a very broad span of phenotype variation in extant species covering both the variation framework of extant Phodopus sungorus and metric variation in a...
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Genus Sicista (Mammalia, Rodentia) in the fossil record of central Europe: phenotypic variation, taxonomic structure, range dynamics.
Lišková, Tereza ; Horáček, Ivan (advisor) ; Vohralík, Vladimír (referee)
Member of the genus Sicista rank among the rarest and the least known European mammals. They exhibit a number of outstanding specificities (hibernation, aestivation etc.) and extreme capability of a rare range dynamics. Their fossil record is fragmentary and associated with numerous controversies. The present thesis summarizes results of a detailed revision of the fossil record of Sicista from Czech Republic, Slovakia and some other countries. It comprises of about 150 items of the Holocene and Vistualian age as well as from the Middle and Early Pleistocene including earliest records from MN17/Q1 boundary and type material of S. praeloriger from Q1 Betfia. Compared to a sample of extant population, variation dynamics of both metrical and nonmetrical dental traits was examined in details with particular attention to phenotype patterns of particular fossil samples. The results demonstrated extensive amount of both within- and between-population variation and rather limited validity of commonly used discrimination criteria of extant clades. Nevertheless, we succeeded in species identification of considerable part of numerous Holocene and Vistulian records which revealed (i) a range expansion of S. subtilis s.l. during MIS 3 with persistent distribution in lowland regions of Central Europe in the Late...
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Multiproxy evidence of Late Pleistocene environmental changes in the loess/paleosol sequence of Bůhzdař
Flašarová, Kristýna
Loess-paleosol sequences preserve information that can be used to reconstruct paleoenvironement, specifically the climatic conditions and the vegetation present at the time of their formation. A dense network of reliably analyzed sequences from different geographic locations is crucial for representation of ecological and climatic trends during the Pleistocene (Frechen, 2011). The aim of this thesis is to fill the gap in the geographical distribution of well described loess-paleosol sequences in Central Europe. Therefore, it focuses on a loess- paleosol sequence in Bůhzdař, situated 9 km NW of Prague, Czech Republic. This profile was last studied in 1952 by naturalist Vojen Ložek. This thesis uses a number of analyses in order to get a multi-proxy record of local paleoenvironmental changes archived in a sequence of alternating loess sediments and paleosols in Bůhzdař. Geochemical approaches are combined with grain size distribution to define climatic conditions at the time of formation of the strata. Key words: loess/paleosol sequences, Bůhzdař, Czech Republic, particle size distribution, total organic carbon, XRF, XRD, stable isotopes 13 C and 18 O
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