The History of the European Fauna — Key Ideas to Explore

Migrations as Waves

Scharff repeatedly describes faunal movements as waves that 'come and vanished again.' The Siberian migration, for instance, spread species across new territory, then saw a 'gradual shrinkage towards their original home,' leaving small colonies behind. He draws a direct parallel to modern migrations from the east, which 'give us some idea of those of which we have fossil evidence.' This pattern—expansion followed by contraction—applies to Arctic and southern migrations as well. The cause, Scharff suggests, is either food scarcity from climate change or 'excessive increase in numbers of a particular species.' He deliberately limits his scope to the Pliocene and Pleistocene, focusing on the Glacial period.

Fossil Evidence and Geographic Limits

The Siberian mammals, Scharff notes, have been found in a 'very limited area' of recent geological deposits. None occur in Southern Europe or the Mediterranean islands. He contrasts the Reindeer's Siberian origin with a distinct variety found in the Pyrenees, which belonged to an 'earlier migration' from Arctic Europe. Curiously, no Siberian mammal fossils have been found in Scandinavia—only in Russia, Austria, Switzerland (lowlands), Germany, Belgium, France, and England. To illustrate, Scharff provides a map (Fig. 16) with dots indicating the probable migration route across Central Europe. He also cites conflicting views on Pleistocene climate: Boyd Dawkins posits a severe north and warm south, while Nehring argues for an extremely cold, damp Germany resembling Greenland.

The Role of Maps and Inference

Scharff is frank about the speculative nature of his maps. He may have 'submerged many square miles of land which had never been covered by the sea,' but the maps are intended 'as illustrations of my views in a broad spirit only.' This honesty extends to his treatment of migration timing: he relies on a 'general consensus' that the Siberian migration occurred in Pleistocene times, but notes Nehring's more precise placement after the first glacial stage. Scharff's method is to compile evidence from mammal distribution, then infer former land connections and climate zones. He addresses geographers as well as zoologists, hoping his survey of 'changes in the distribution of land and water' will interest both fields.

Scharff's work is best read as a provisional synthesis, not a final account. He repeatedly invites correction and further data collection, especially from collectors of beetles, butterflies, shells, and fossils. The book's value lies in its clear articulation of a research program: tracing faunal elements to their origins by combining fossil records with modern distribution patterns. Readers should note that Scharff's maps are deliberately schematic, and his conclusions are offered as hypotheses to be tested against new evidence.

There’s something tender in Scharff’s old maps—those slow waves of creatures retreating before the ice. It makes you think of all the quiet journeys a landscape holds. I kept that feeling nearby while rereading Illustrative Anecdotes of the Animal Kingdom — Themes and Context, which lingers on the small, personal dramas behind those migrations. The animals feel less like data, more like old neighbors. A gentle book to sit with, once the evening settles.