Subboreal Period Research Articles

Biostratigraphic evidences of extreme floods in the Holocene: the south-east of the Taymyr Peninsula, Russia

Having conducted research in the basins of the Kotuy and Medvezh'ya Rivers, the phenomenon of palaeofloods in the south-eastern part of the Taymyr Peninsula has been identified for the first time. Beginning with the sub-boreal period of the Holocene, approximately 3900 years Before Present (BP), high waters and floods have been a constant occurrence in this region. The evidences thereof are as follows: (1) an absence of plant pollen and spores in the whole 10-meter formation of sediments in the second terrace above the flood plain of the Medvezh'ya River; (2) an absence of plant pollen and spores in the surface samples taken in a larch forest with upland soil near the geological cross-section that was investigated; (3) lithology and biostratigraphy of the investigated geological cross-section; and (4) contemporary hydrological activities and processes in the Kotuy–Medvezh'ya Rivers system.

Нові дані щодо історії розвитку рослинного покриву Українських Карпат у голоцені

Palaeopalynological analysis of Shyrkovets peat bog situated at the Beskyds and Gorgans boundary, allows reconstructing vegetation history of this region in Subboreal and Subatlantic periods of Holocene. Some features of plant succession were shown to be peculiar to whole East-Carpathian region, partycularly the appearance of Carpinus , Fagus , Abies in the Subboreal period. These trees became a part of plant cover of the investigated region about 1,000 years earlier than they appeared in the North-Carpa­thian Foreland. Keywords: palynological analysis, Subatlantic period, Subboreal period, reconstruction of vegetation, Carpathians.

Palynological evidence of human activity on the gulf of Gdansk coast during the late holocene

The Gulf of Gdansk is located in the southern part of the Baltic Sea. The shores of the Gulf are dominated by the sandy barriers which have developed in front of the Vistula Lagoon and the Vistula Delta Plain to the south-east and south and in front of the Puck Lagoon in the north-west such as the Hel Peninsula. Cliffs occur on the western coast of the Gulf. Neolithic settlements around the coast of the Gulf of Gdansk are mainly located at the foot of the upland slope and on the Vistula Spit and the Vistula Delta and are closely related to the rise and displacement of the shoreline during the Late Holocene. Pollen analyses of the sediment cores from the Vistula Delta, the Vistula Lagoon and the coast of the Puck Lagoon allow four anthropogenic phases to be distinguished in the area of the Gulf of Gdansk. It has been shown that the first indicators of an early husbandry economy in the vicinity of the Gulf of Gdansk appeared in the Atlantic Period. Pollen grains of plants related to this kind of human activity those of the goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae), motherwort (Artemisia), sorrel (Rumex) are present and the first pollen grains of the plantain (Plantago lanceolata) also appear. The second anthropogenic phase of Neolithic settlement is one of the best investigated cultures. This is the Rzucewo Culture. Pollen analyses indicate increasing human activity at the beginning of the Subboreal Period. The preserved traces of fauna show that the seal hunting and fishing economy was preferred. Radiocarbon dating of archaeological artifacts indicates the beginning of the settlement at ca. 2 400 B.C. (ca. 4 400 years B.P.) (Król 1997). The altitude of peat and marine mollusks shells and their radiocarbon age shows that during the Early Subboreal Period the water level rose from ca. 2.8 m to 1.1 m below the present-day sea level. The date of the beginning of the seal hunters settlement correlates well with the period when the shores of the Puck Lagoon approached their recent position. The development of the Neolithic settlement on the Puck Bay coast as well as those on the Vistula Delta, where the main activity was related to amber processing, seal hunting and fishing, clearly shows a close relationship to the sea-level rise. The occurrence of the third and fourth settlement phases was related to the high sea-level stands in the Subboreal and Subatlantic Periods (post-Littorina, Late Holocene regressions) but their character was still strongly related to the coastal environments. The settlement was connected with the dry habitats whose areas increased after the development of the barriers. In the area of the Vistula Delta, settlement conditions depended mainly on the stages of the delta's development. On the shores of Puck Bay, however, the intensity of settlement was closely related to the water level changes.

Climatic significance of glacier retreat and rockglaciers re-assessed in the light of cosmogenic dating and weathering rind thickness in Clarée valley (Briançonnais, French Alps)

Recent advances in geochronology provide opportunities to identify the glacial and periglacial sequences in mountain area. In this paper, we focus on the Upper Durance catchment (Southern French Alps), in the Claree valley, where no absolute chronological benchmark was defined. Glacial remnants and periglacial features were investigated, integrated within a chronological scenario thanks to relative (weathering rind thickness) and absolute (CRE technique) dates. We find evidence of the existence of a Late-Glacial valley glacier, that has never been reported before. Then the upper valleys became ice-free during a period corresponding to the Early-Holocene Climate Optimum, whereas two sequences of cirque glaciation are identified during the second half of the Holocene. We also show evidence of three main generations of rockglaciers, which also mainly developed during the second half of the Holocene, probably at the end of the Subboreal period. The location and the altitudes of rockglaciers are strongly dependent on the geomorphic setting (especially the location of the sediment sources), hence complicating their palaeo-climatic interpretations.

Climatic changes and alluvial-sedimentation settings in southeastern Transbaikalia in the Middle-Late Holocene ( by the example of the Ilya floodplain)

Climatic changes in southeastern Transbaikalia in the Middle and Late Holocene and their influence on alluvial sedimentation environments are reconstructed from the results of study of the Ilya floodplain sediments (Alkhanai National Park). At the beginning of the Subboreal period, the regional climate became more arid, which led to a significant increase in steppe species communities in the landscapes. Intense climate aridization also took place at the beginning and at the end of the Subatlantic period of the Holocene. The alluvial-sedimentation rate increased during the weakening of aridization and decreased during cooling and the intensification of aridization. The obtained regional data are compared with data on the adjacent areas and the global climatic changes in the Northern Hemisphere.

New evidence of initial agriculture in the Western Dvina basin

Multidisciplinary investigations targeted at the evidence of the initial agriculture were conducted by Russian and Byelorussian researchers in 2004–2005 in the Vitebsk area. They included palynological and paleobotanical investigation of the peat bog, located close to the Early Iron Age Luzhesno hill-fort. The botanical and pollen analyses controlled by radiocarbon dating provided the full sequence of vegetation development for the entire period of Holocene. The occurrence of cultivated cereals (wheat cf. Triticum sp. and rye cf. Secale sp.) as well as weeds is acknowledged starting with the final stage of the Subboreal period (mid–2nd millennium BC), much earlier than had been previously thought. The common occurrence of rye and wheat corresponds to the final stage in the hill-fort's existence (4th–7th centuries AD).

Landscape-and-climate dynamics and land use in Late Holocene forest-steppe ecotone of East European Plain (upper Don River Basin case study)

Results of lithological and palynological data of key sequences of the forest-steppe region in the Upper Don River basin, notably, the Kulikovo Battle-Field area, are presented. The obtained evidence shows the occurrence of open forest-steppe and steppe landscape in the Late Holocene. Climate reconstructions failed to demonstrate any drastic changes in the second half of the Holocene. However, even small reductions in annual precipitation, from 400 to 500 mm in the Atlantic, to 300–400 mm in the Subboreal period, accompanied by the rise of summer temperature, from 20–22 °C to 22–24 °C, respectively, were sufficient to cause landscape changes from the forest-steppe to typical steppe. The paper discusses various aspects of human impact on the landscape.

Sedimentary record and luminescence chronology of the Lateglacial and Holocene aeolian sediments in Lithuania

Sand dunes are common along the sea coasts of Lithuania and in some regions of the mainland part of the country. Until recently, the age of the aeolian deposits was only approximate because of the lack of radiocarsbon-dating of soils buried in dune deposits. A relatively new alternative method to direct dating of organic-free deposits is infra-red optically stimulated luminescence (IR-OSL). Using this method, we investigated the sedimentary history of some Lateglacial and Holocene depositional sites of Lithuanian dunes. The samples for IR-OSL dating have been taken from boreholes (Manciagire, Smalininkai, Žalioji Giria) and outcrops (Manciagire and Ventes Ragas) in different dune massifs. The results indicate that the aeolian sedimentation in Lithuania started during the Younger Dryas. The termination of the aeolian processes in the continental part of Lithuania is correlated with the end of the Atlantic or the beginning of the Subboreal period; this can be explained by significant climatic changes during the Atlantic period. There were several periods of high aeolian activity during the Holocene, but these are asynchronous in different dune massifs and variations in the sedimentation rate occurred both vertically over the section and spatially across the massif.

Changes of Natural Environment in Kraków Downtown - Its Chronology and Directions. Case Geoarchaeological Studies of Krupnicza Street Site

Changes of Natural Environment in Kraków Downtown - Its Chronology and Directions. Case Geoarchaeological Studies of Krupnicza Street Site Sediments exposed in a construction excavation form a sequence: alluvial deposits > black soil > made ground. Peat-like deposits, organic muds and occasionally sand occur between the soil and the made ground. High aeolization of alluvial sediments allows relating their age to the Late Vistulian. The sediments were eroded and in the washout at first organic muds were deposited and subsequently sands. The lowest layer, radiocarbon-dated at 4510±60 uncal. years BP (Gd-12724), can be probably linked to climate moistening at the transition between the Holocene Atlantic and the Subboreal period. Pollen grains found in muds, black soil and peat-like deposits reflect the changes of local plant cover from dominated by pine woodlands (at the transition between the Atlantic and the Subboreal period) to strongly deforested with single trees, meadows, small crop fields and gardens in the Medieval period. Palynological results describing the character of vegetation might have been influenced also by direct human activity on site, e.g. by storage of wood and branches (then used as construction material or fuel), crops, fodder or waste. Microartefacts found in soil suggest metal processing in the vicinity during the Bronze Age. In the made ground, which has been accumulating since the 14th century, quartz, clay minerals and micas were identified together with fragments of bricks, concrete, ceramics, bones, slag, charcoal, organic matter, limestone fragments and metals. Horizons enriched in slag fragments are also high in metals: Fe, Mn and Pb, which reveal a twofold increase in metal processing activity.

Dynamics of the soil cover in the southeast of Europe and in the southern Trans-Ural region during the subboreal period

An inventory of published data on the natural evolution of forest-steppe, steppe, and semidesert soils in the southern part of the East European Plain and in the southern Trans-Ural region during the Subboreal period of the Holocene has been performed. Schematic maps of the thickness of soil humus profiles and the depth of soil carbonates have been developed for the chronosections of 5000-4200, 4100-3900, and 3800 − 3200 years ago. On this basis, the areas with specific patterns of natural evolution of soils in the Subbo- real period are delineated.

Biomarkers and geochemical indicators of Holocene environmental changes in coastal Lake Sarbsko (Poland)

Organic-rich samples from the Holocene sedimentary sequence of Lake Sarbsko were investigated to reconstruct variations in the aquatic system in response to environmental change. The aims were to (i) identify organic matter (OM) sources, (ii) examine changes in soluble OM composition in relation to fluctuations in limnological conditions and (iii) validate the sensitivity of organic geochemical indicators in tracing environmental changes. Diatom frustules are abundant in all samples. Alginite macerals and terrigenous organic matter further contribute to the sedimentary OM. Organic petrography, total organic carbon (TOC)/N ratio values and high content of biogenic silica (SiO 2 biogenic ) argue for a predominant algal source of OM. In contrast, the n-alkane distributions, high relative abundance of C 29 steroid hydrocarbons and high content of detrital quartz in the sediments provide evidence for the input of terrigenous material as a major OM source within the basin. The terpenoid biomarker composition indicates a contribution from conifers and angiosperms. From the diterpenoids in the samples a contribution from species of the coniferales family Pinaceae is concluded. TOC/S and Mg/Ca values, as well as steroid/hopanoid concentration ratios, reflect enhanced water salinity in this coastal lake due to ingression of brackish water from the Baltic Sea during the Atlantic and Sub-Atlantic periods. As indicated by the positive relationship between δ 13C of TOC and Mg/Ca, δ 13C values are influenced by changing contribution of marine vs. freshwater phytoplankton. Additional isotopic heterogeneity in δ 13C may result from differences in terrigenous OM supply vs. autochthonous OM production in the lake. The isotopic composition of calcites supports the establishment of freshwater conditions in the lake during the Sub-Boreal period. Pristane/phytane and Fe/Mn ratios are interpreted to reflect differences in the redox conditions. Oxygenation of bottom waters was temporarily variable, with highest levels of oxygen availability during the Sub-Boreal (freshwater lake). High contents of hopanoid hydrocarbons argue for enhanced microbial activity in the water column and sediment. The occurrence of 2β-methyl-hopanes is related to the presence of cyanobacteria or methylotrophic bacteria. The results demonstrate that in coastal basins of the Baltic Sea sedimentary OM content and composition are a function of the degree of isolation from the sea water. Therefore, organic geochemical data of coastal lake and lagoonal sediments are sensitive indicators for tracing environmental changes during the Holocene.

Insect evidence for environmental and climate changes from Younger Dryas to Sub-Boreal in a river floodplain at St-Momelin (St-Omer basin, northern France), Coleoptera and Trichoptera

The St-Omer area is a rapidly subsiding basin in which long sequences of Weichselian and Holocene sediments are preserved. A core 21 m long, extracted from near St-Momelin about ten km north of St-Omer, has been analysed for insect fossils. Four Faunal Units (SMi-1 to SMi-4) are described based on changes in both coleopteran and trichopteran assemblages. The basal Faunal Unit (SMi-1) includes many cold-adapted species and is attributed to the Younger Dryas chronozone. The transition to Holocene sedimentation was abrupt. Faunal units SMi-2 to SMi-4 are attributable to the Holocene. They lack all the cold-adapted species found in the basal sediments and in their place are insect assemblages very similar to the present day fauna in this region. This sequence spans the period from the Pre-Boreal to the Sub-Boreal. Faunal Unit SMi-2 includes insects from the Pre-Boreal, the Boreal and most of the Atlantic periods. This fauna was fairly sparse and made up largely of species living in freshwater habitats. The Faunal Unit SMi-3 includes the insect assemblages from the Late-Atlantic to Sub-Boreal periods. This fauna was much more diverse and indicated a river meandering across its floodplain and bordered by a mature forest at a time when the climate was warmer than that of the present day. This chronostratigraphical sequence of events is supported by 14C dates and by lithological data. Thermal climatic conditions have been quantified using the Mutual Climatic Range method. During the Younger Dryas period (SMi-1), Tmax (the mean July temperature) was in the region of 10 °C and Tmin (the mean temperature of January/February) was close to − 11/− 12 °C. After the sudden climatic amelioration at the start of the Holocene (SMi-2 to SMi-4) Tmax probably fluctuated throughout the early Holocene between 16 °C to 19 °C and Tmin between 0 °C to 5 °C; figures that are close to those of the present day. This climatic history is compared with others in northern Europe.

Exploring the ancient occupation of a high altitude site (Lake Lauzon, France): Comparison between pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs

Next to Lus-la-Croix-Haute (Southern Alps, Drôme, France), Lake Lauzon is located in a small basin 1980 m above sea level, 500 m above the actual timberline, in the middle of typical sub-alpine grasslands. A drilling for samples in the wetland area bordering the lake made it possible to obtain a core of clayey fine sediments with a high organic matter content, in which pollen as well as many micro-organisms had been particularly well preserved. The pollen analysis and the non-pollen palynomorhs analysis both cover a period from ca. 8000 cal. BP to sub-recent time. The pollen analysis reveals the presence of a thriving forest vegetation dominated by Abies, and the first signs of human activity near the lake and its nearby basins in the Atlantic period. These signs become more pronounced during the Sub-boreal period from 5450 cal. BP on, with the clear presence of cereal and weed pollen. This evolution is totally confirmed by the non-pollen palynomorphs. Since the Neolithic, every time pollen analysis points to clearings or cultivation, the non-pollen palynomorphs indicate that man has burnt the vegetation to obtain openings (occurrence of Chaetomium sp.). Increased erosion during the Sub-atlantic period is revealed by the occurrence of Glomus cf. fasciculatum. Furthermore, non-pollen palynomorphs give information on eutrophication of the lake which may be explained by more nutrient-rich habitats around the lake due to grazing and possibly agriculture. The combination of both types of analysis makes it possible to prove that this elevated site has been occupied and cleared at an early stage by man to obtain pasture lands and possibly arable land. This led to deforestation, which increased during the Sub-atlantic period, and has led to the present grasslands.

Chironomids (Diptera) in river floodplains: their status and potential use for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction purposes

The chironomid subfossils from a single sediment core in the floodplain of the Aa river (Saint-Omer basin, Northern France) were analysed. This study was a pioneering attempt to use sedimentary chironomid assemblages and lithostratigraphic analysis to reconstruct the palaeoenvironment and the past hydrodynamic conditions in a river system during the mid-Holocene period. In this paper, a chironomid subfossil typology is proposed, based on the current scientific knowledge about the present distribution of chironomid species through the cross-section of a floodplain (from lotic to more lentic habitats). A hydrological status is attributed to 27 subfossil chironomid taxa (limnophilous taxa and rheophilous taxa) from the Saint-Omer sediment sample. Based on these chironomid hydrological statuses and in regard with the lithostrati-graphic data, the dynamics of chironomid subfossil assemblages showed the occurrence of some fluctuations between periods with lower (lentic periods SMch-1, SMch-3 and SMch-5) and higher (lotic periods SMch-2 and SMch-4) Aa river discharge rates during the Late-Atlantic and Subboreal periods. The lotic periods were correlated with several climatic events known to have occurred during these periods in Europe. Several hypotheses are put forward and discussed, as to the potential relationships between the levels of precipitation and the hydrological conditions in the Saint-Omer basin. Although chironomid analysis in river systems is still in its developmental phase, the conclusions drawn from the present findings on subfossil chironomids show that these can provide a useful tool for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction purposes.

The later Holocene history of vegetation, land-use and settlements around the Ahlequellmoor in the Solling area, Germany

A pollen diagram from the Ahlequellmoor in the Solling area shows the history of vegetation and settlement over the last 7,800 years. In the early Atlantic period mixed deciduous forest with mainly Tilia together with Ulmus and Quercus grew in the area. In the late Atlantic period Quercus became most abundant. Fagus spread in the Sub-boreal period at about 2700 B.C. Since ca. 900 B.C. the Solling was covered by beech forests with some oak. In prehistoric times woodland grazing is indicated. Only in Medieval times are two settlements in the vicinity of the Ahlequellmoor reflected in the pollen diagram. The earlier one is dated to about A.D. 750–1020, and may be connected with the former Monastery of Hethis, which is thought to have existed close to the fen from A.D. 815 to 822. The second Medieval settlement dates to the 11th–12th century. The large-scale woodland destruction of late Medieval and modern times is not clearly visible. The silvicultural measures of the last 200 years are reflected by increasing values of spruce and grassland taxa.

Reconstruction of the paleohydrological conditions in the central Kola Peninsula in Holocene on the basis of diatom analysis of lacustrine and boggy deposits

Comprehensive analysis of Holocene lacustrine-alluvial and boggy sediments has been carried out for the western shore of Umbozero Lake. Fouling and paludification of near-shore shoals of the lake, as well as peat deposits formation on the first lake terrace and in paleodeltas were found to be typical of the end of Atlantic and the beginning of the Subborreal Period of Holocene. Variations in the peat accumulation rate during the Subboreal and Subatlantic periods (for the last 4500 years) have been analyzed. Such variations can reflect both annual fluctuations in the amount of precipitation and changes in the groundwater table, which is related to the Umbozero water level in the region.

Changes in Bat Fauna During the Middle and Late Holocene as Exemplified by Thanatocoenoses Dated with14C AMS from Kraków-Częstochowa Upland Caves, Poland

Fossil material from 12 caves situated in the Krakow-Czestochowa Upland (southern Poland) was studied. In 17 samples of osteological material, 8,275 individuals (Minimal Number of Individuals, MNI = 4,571) of 12 bat species were identified. Thirteen separate thanatocoenoses were found (R × C test) from which bone material was dated using the 14C AMS method; 13 dates from 6,725 to 820 14C yr BP (yr BP) were obtained. Correspondence analysis for thanatocoenoses from the Atlantic and Subboreal periods distinguished two bat species groups and two thanatocoenosis groups: 1) pontic-mediterranean species with a higher frequency during the Atlantic period, e.g., Rhinolophus hipposideros which reoccurs more abundantly at the end of the Subboreal period and Myotis emarginatus, which is absent in earlier sediments with the exception of one episode; 2) Myotis daubentonii, Plecotus auritus, and Myotis dasycneme which increase in frequency during humid and cool periods (5,500–1,200 and 3,000–2,700 yr BP); 3) thanatocoe...

Abrupt Changes in Bosmina (Cladocera, Crustacea) Assemblages During the History of the Ostrowite Lake (Northern Poland)

During the 10000-year history of the Ostrowite Lake, there have been several episodes of change in dominance amongst species of the genus Bosmina. The dominants were alternately B.longirostris and Eubosmina spp. Amongst the subgenus Eubosmina, two species prevailed in different periods:Bosmina coregoni and Bosmina reflexa. The first species, Bosmina coregoni, is characterized by long antennae and short carapace mucrones, while the second one, Bosmina reflexa, by short antennae and very long mucrones. Bosmina reflexa was dominant at the beginning of the lake's history (Preboreal, 10000--9000 BP) and during the early Subboreal Period (5000–3500 BP). Only a small number of remains of Bosmina longispina(Eubosmina spp.) were present along the entire profile. Such strong changes in the domination of Bosmina species were observed for the first time in the sediments of Polish lakes. A similar transition from one species to another has been described in a few German lakes and was linked to climate changes. However, the changes in the Ostrowite Lake do not correlate with climate changes, but most probably, with changes in the lake's trophic level. This is suggested by the simultaneous increase of Bosmina reflexa and a good indicator of eutrophy, Bosmina longirostris.

Nouvelles contributions a la connaisance de l'histoire de la vegetation holocene des Monts Rodnei (Carpates Orientales)

New Contributions to the Knowledge of the Holocene Vegetation History of Rodnei Mountains. Two sequences originating from one peat bog in Poiana Ştiol (Rodnei Mts.) were pollen analyzed. The vegetation history is described since the Atlantic period. In this period the vegetation is dominated by Picea together with Corylus, Ulmus and Alnus viridis. The components frequencies of the Quercetum mixtum (Quercus, Fraxinus, Tilia, Corylus) rarely exceed 10%. The vegetation of the Subboreal period is dominated by the Carpinus and that of the Subatlantic is dominated by Fagus. Picea pollen is well represented belong the entire sequences.

Subfossil oribatid mites as the bioindicators of profound environmental changes during the holocene.

Oribatid mites (moss mites) are microarthropods that inhabit all soils in the world. The history of the studies of moss mites is long. In Russia, C.L. Koch published the first works on mites in the 19th century. However, investigations on fossil oribatids are not numerous in Russia to date. At the same time, studies on subfossil (i.e., fossilized but not lithified) moss mites even from comparatively young deposits provide entirely new information on the ecosystems of the past. This allows us to improve our knowledge of the history and ways of the environment development. The field material for this work was collected in the Holocene peat mire in the southern Arkhangel’sk oblast. The sampling site was located in the lower Vychegda River basin ( 61°16 ′ N, 46°44 ′ E) in the middle taiga subzone. The section was located in the outcrop of the river floodplain deposits, 6 m thick. The maximum radiocarbon (noncalibrated) age of the uncovered deposits was as old as 9000 years B.P. [1]. From each layer, samples were collected for the radiocarbon dating, pollen, and spores analyses, and for the study of oribatids. Sample 1 from a depth of 2.41‐2.45 m was 6155 ± 60 years old; i.e., this layer was formed during the Atlantic period of the Holocene. The present analogue region reconstructed on the basis of the pollen flora is located in the middle Vyatka River basin, in the coniferous‐broadleaf forest zone. Sample 2 from a depth of 1.78‐1.81 m depth was 3250 ± 65 years old (the Subboreal period), and its floristic analogue is located in the Sukhona River basin, near the north boundary of the south taiga zone [1]. Sample 3 was collected from a depth of 2.07‐2.11 m. Its radiocarbon age was 4505 ± 50 years (Subboreal), and its floristic analogue is located in the Unzha River basin. The pollen flora of sample 4 (its age was 860 ± 60 years) from a depth of 0.70‐0.74 m did not differ from the contemporary flora of the study site. Mites’ shells were extracted from peat using the paraffin flotation method, which is new for Russia. This method [2] is based on the difference in the ability of liquid paraffin to modify plant and chitin particles. This method is effective and time saving: it allows separating the chitin remains from the mineral and plant particles within 2 h. Two samples aged 6155 and 3250 years B.P. were chosen for the comparative analysis of the oribatid faunas. A total of 162 shells were extracted from these samples. They belong to 47 species of 34 genera of 25 families of moss mites. Of these, 27 species and 5 genera have not been found before in the fossil state in Russia. From the sample of 6155 years B.P., a new genus Alexebates D. Krivolutski et E. Sidorchuk, 2003 was described [3]. One hundred and sixty shells were extracted from the 4505-year-old sample. Three of them belonged to another new genus, Palaeonothrus D. Krivolutski et E. Sidorchuk, 2003 [3]. The youngest sample with a 14 C age of 860 years B.P. appears to be extremely poor in oribatids; only ten shells were extracted from it. Two of them belonged to a new species (see the description below).