The History of the European FaunaScharff, R. F. (Robert Francis)
History
The History of the European Fauna
Scharff, R. F. (Robert Francis)
Animals -- Europe; Zoogeography
We have evidence that most of these twenty-six species of mammals came
from Eastern Europe, but there is no reason to suppose that they
originated there. On the contrary, it is highly probable, as I said
before, that their native home is Siberia, and that they entered Europe
to the north of the Caspian. Along with these, vast numbers of other
forms of life, and also plants, swarmed into our continent, and as we
advance eastward from England we meet with them in increasing numbers to
the present day. But not only on the Continent do we find these
survivals of the great Siberian migration, which has been so ably
described by Professor Nehring; no less than nine species still inhabit
Great Britain (if we include the recently extinct Beaver). On the other
hand, not more than three have been found fossil in Ireland, and of
these only one still survives. This very significant fact will be
referred to again more fully on p. 153. Meanwhile it should be
remembered that these three species, viz., _Mustela erminea_, _Equus
caballus_, and _Rangifer tarandus_, occur in Ireland in varieties
distinct from those found in Central Europe. It is upon this, and many
other circumstances, that I founded my belief that Ireland was already
separated from England at the time of the arrival of the Siberian
emigrants in the latter country. As we shall see, the Irish Stoat,
Horse, and Reindeer probably came by a different route from that taken
by the English representatives of the same species.
Very few of the lower animals of Siberian origin have reached the
British Islands. Most of those which were formerly thought to be
Siberian are either of East European or of Central and South Asiatic
origin, though they probably joined the Siberian migration on their way
to England. The Arctic migration brought a greater variety of species to
this country than the Siberian, but neither the one nor the other has
contributed more than a small percentage to the British fauna. The bulk
of that fauna is derived from the various European centres of dispersal,
and especially from Central and Southern Asia.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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