Fauna und Flora im Pleistozän-Profil von Murg bei Säckingen und ihre Aussage zur Altersdatierung

Abstract. The Murg profile shows a loamy ground moraine as the lowermost Pleistocene layer over gneis. The moraine originated during the furthest thrust of the Alpine glaciers in the direction of the Black Forest, and has been placed since 1909 (according to the work of Penck and Brückner) in the Riss glacial stage. Overlying the moraine are pollenbearing peat bog and pond deposits. The pollen indicate, in the deepest layers, a plant community that might still be possible under present climatic conditions. In the higher layers, the trees having affinities to warm conditions disappear. The composite diagram (pollen spectrum) indicates the end phase of an interglacial stage. Over these sediments lie 6—10 m of loess and loess-loam deposits. A thick loam layer, averaging 2.50 m in width, which contains more or less distinct soil horizons, lies between aeolian loess, which always represents a cold period. It can thus be proved that at least a part of these substrata originated in place. Since this loam horizon also represents a warm phase, the deposits of two warm periods overlie the Riss moraine in the Murg profile. Remains of elephants, giant stags, and bison permit comparison of the Murg stratigraphic sequence with a portion of the profile at Achenheim near Strassburg. Hereby is shown that merely the warm period, between the moraine formation and the lowest loess at Murg, can correspond to layers at Achenheim which have yielded the last ancient elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus Falc.). These are approximately of the same age as the travertine at Ehringsdorf The pollen-bearing sectionat Murg might then probably be included in the time of formation of the upper travertine at Ehringsdorf.