Greinar (Vísindafélag Íslendinga) - 01.01.1935, Page 91

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C. in April and OctoberV In Norway this staphylinide
has been found as far north as lat. 70°. The average
temperature in Reykjavík in April and October js
about 3.2 ° C., so the climate of the interglacial period
can only have been about 1 ° C. colder than now. But
this would be the lowest possible limit of the tempera-
ture; so that it is probable that the climate was then
as mild or milder than now.
Dr. Lindroth 2> puts forward the opinion that there
was a land-bridge between Iceland and Europe in the
last interglacial period, and that some of those insect
species which are now found in Iceland have existed
here through the last glaciation in two places in the
south of the country where there was protection from
the glaciers. If it is assumed, and it seems very prob-
able, that the fossiliferous stratum at Gelgjutangi is
from the last interglacial period, then it fits in well
with the views of Dr. Lindroth, that some insects still
extant in Iceland should have been found in it, and it
is not improbable that during the last glaciation there
may have been small patches of land here and there
free of the glaciers, because the glacier at Reykjavík
in this glacial period, or at least in the latter part of
it, was, according to its movement as shown by the
striæ, fed not by the main glacier on the highlands, but
i'ather by a local glacial centre near Vífilsfell in the
Reykjanes mountain range.1 2 3)
Yet I consider that there are various difficulties in
the way of accepting Dr. Lindroth’s opinion in all re-
spects. Very great geomorphical changes have occurred
in the south-west of the country since the last inter-
glacial period; however it would seem that propor-
tionately insignificant changes have occurred in the
1) cf. Lindroth, loc. cit., p. 475.
2) Die Insektenfauna Islands, p. 551.
3) Cf. Thorkell Thorkelsson, Isaldarmenjar og forn sjávar-
mörk, Andvari, Reykjavík 1924, p. 185.