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
In following the history of the Arctic migration to Europe, it is of
great importance to determine the nature and the time of duration of
these land-connections. The Greenland flora is a very instructive one in
helping us to understand many of the problems connected with the origin
of the European plants and animals. To judge from the remarks of
Professor James Geikie and Mr. Clement Reid, no flowering plants could
have existed in the British Islands during the height of the Glacial
period, and one would suppose that the cold in Greenland at that time
must have been far more intense than in England. If no flowering plants
could exist in the latter country, then very surely none could in
Greenland, where the climate was of necessity by far more rigorous. It
will be a surprise, therefore, to those who are acquainted only with
Professor Geikie's views of the nature of the Glacial period, that two
of the most eminent Swedish botanists, who have made a special study of
the flora of Greenland, have come to the conclusion that a survival of
flowering plants has taken place in Greenland itself from pre-glacial
times. According to Professor Nathorst (p. 200), only a few plants could
have survived the Glacial period in Greenland. The species now peculiar
to that country may perhaps, he thinks, be the remnants of those which
existed in pre-glacial times. Mr. Warming, on the other hand, is of
opinion that the main mass of Greenland's present flora survived the
Glacial period there (p. 403), and that the remainder was carried from
Europe and North America by occasional means of distribution of the
nature indicated by Darwin.
Very similar views on the origin of the present Polar flora are
expressed by Colonel Feilden, who says, "To my mind it seems
indisputable that several plants now confined to the Polar area must
have originated there and have outlived the period of greatest
ice-development in that region" (_b_, p. 50). No land-connection at all
need be supposed to have existed in recent geological times, that is to
say, during the Glacial period or after, if Mr. Warming's and Colonel
Feilden's views be adopted. A pre-glacial connection would be sufficient
to explain the general features of distribution. An admission is thus
obtained from these two independent authorities that the climate during
the Glacial period must have been vastly less severe in the Polar
Regions than is generally conceded. I am of opinion that not only the
whole of the present flora, but also the fauna of Greenland survived the
Glacial period in that country.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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