The climatic significance of coleopteran assemblages from the Eemian deposits in southern England

Abstract

Assemblages of fossil coleoptera (beetles) have been obtained from eight sites in southern England that date from the early phase (Pinus — Quercetum mixtum — Corylus pollen assemblage zone) of the Eemian (Ipswichian) interglacial Stage. Altogether 294 different species have been identified from these sites. They represent a wide spectrum of habitat requirements; terrestrial, aquatic, carnivorous and phytophagous species and many more with subtle dependences of specialist biotopes. Almost all of them live today in central and southern Europe and some are restricted to regions well south of the British Isles.

By using mutual climatic range methods, the thermal climate of the early phase of the Eemian Interglacial has been estimated quantitatively, showing that mean July temperatures were about 4°C above those of southern England today. Mean winter temperatures were not much different from those nowadays. This phase was probably the thermal maximum of the Eemian Interglacial. Precipitation levels are difficult to quantify but were adequate to maintain flowing rivers in England throughout the year. These results are in agreement with the presence of other fossils, both plants and animals, in the same deposits.