Blei

No genetic variation detected within isolated relict populations of Saxifraga cernua in the Alps using RAPD markers

“…He concluded that, at that time, S. cernua must have been a prominent species of the unglaciated lowlands between the arctic and alpine ice sheets, and that it reached its present sites by postglacial migration when the glaciers started to retreat after the last glaciation. Hantke (1983) also suggests that S. cernua migrated into the region of Engadine after the retreat of the ice together with other Nordic species such as Ranunculus pygmaeus, Tofieldia pusilla, and Thalictrum alpinum. In the absence of any fossil evidence (H. Birks, University of Bergen, personal communication), it is hardly possible to decide whether S. cernua immigrated postglacially from ice-free lowlands, or whether it is a real glacial relict that survived the different glaciations on nunataks within the Alps.…”

“…There was a tundra vegetation in continental middle Europe between the Scandinavian and Alpine ice sheets during the last WŸrm/Weichselian glaciation (Hantke 1978). The vegetation which grew in moist depressions contained species which today are prominent in arctic and alpine tundra, e.g.…”

“…The vegetation which grew in moist depressions contained species which today are prominent in arctic and alpine tundra, e.g. Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Betula nana, Dryas octopetala, Loiseleuria procumbens, Polygonum viviparum, Salix herbacea, S. polaris, S. reticulata, and S. retusa (Hantke 1978). Since S. cernua today grows together with P. viviparum in the neighbourhood of these species, it is very probable that S. cernua was also present in the glacial vegetation of central Europe.…”

“…Already during the last interglacial period (Eem) there was an alpine flora present in the Alps (Lange 1994). This flora was mostly wiped out by the growing glaciers of the WŸrm glaciation, but mountain peaks of the Central Alps and ranges of the northern and southern Lower Alps protruded through the ice sheet during the main glaciation (Riss) and even more so during the last (WŸrm) glaciation (map: JŠckli 1965; Hantke 1978Hantke , 1980. The south alpine mountain ranges especially played a critical role as nunataks.…”

Rapid extensive erosion of the North Alpine foreland basin at 5-4 Ma

“…Pro¢le A is from Schlunegger et al (1993) and pro¢le B is fromVollmayr & Wendt (1987). Pro¢le C is slightly modi¢ed from Burkhard (1990); we have added a slice of Lower Marine Molasse in the bottom of the Rigi thrust sheet following Hantke (2006). Note that the transects have identical scales on their x-and y-axes, and that depth is in km below surface level.…”