23. Introduction: climate, vegetation and mammalian faunas in europe during middle pleistocene interglacials (MIS 7, 9, 11)

Abstract

Regarding the lower and upper boundary of the Middle Pleistocene, the responsible stratigraphic commission suggests to use the palaeomagnetically defined Brunhes/Matuyama boundary (780 kyr, MIS 19) also as boundary between Lower and Middle Pleistocene. There is a broad international consensus about this proposal. The boundary between Middle and Upper Pleistocene is also not yet formally defined. Whereas the basal chronostratigraphic units (stages/ages) were not formally defined so far internationally, cold and warm intervals are used as chronostratigraphic units in terms of regional stages of Middle Pleistocene in northern and central Europe (e.g. Elsterian Stage, Holsteinian Stage). The chronostratigraphic units include several complex stages (Cromerian, Saalian). Even in this case, the recognition of distinct criteria and of boundaries for the climatostratigraphic division is crucial. Numerous regional continental stratigraphic units and boundary stratotypes of the Quaternary were defined using palynostratigraphic criteria.