THE STRATIGRAPHICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF DEER SPECIES IN THE CROMER FOREST-BED FORMATION

Deer species provide a valuable biostratigraphical tool through Cromer Forest-bed times, due particularly to species turnover between the Ea rly and early Middle Pleistocene. This study is based on the reidentif ication of 348 fossil antlers. The provenance of most large mammal fos sils from the CF-bF, collected over 150 years, was recorded only by th e nearest coastal village. None the less, analysis of the cervid taxa by these 'localities' reveals interesting patterns. The fauna of the W est Runton Freshwater Bed is of early Middle Pleistocene complexion, a nd that from the foreshore at East Runton is of Early Pleistocene. Pur e or nearly pure early Middle Pleistocene assemblages also occur at Ke ssingland-Pakefield and at Trimingham. At Overstrand, Sidestrand, Mund esley, Bacton and Happisburgh, there is a mixture of Early and early M iddle Pleistocene elements. Analysis of Savin's data shows that fossil s of earlier species were generally found further down the beach than those of later ones. Late nineteenth century geological surveys, made when bone collecting was at its peak, give additional information abou t fossil horizons, which in several cases can be related to modern str atigraphical units. Most Early Pleistocene large-mammal bones came fro m Pastonian conglomerates, in contrast to small-mammal and molluscan a ssemblages mostly extracted from Pre-Pastonian Crag. However, the dive rsity of Early Pleistocene CF-bF cervid species in comparison with con tinental faunas, and their pattern of distribution between sites, sugg ests they may span more than one chronostratigraphic stage. Early Midd le Pleistocene assemblages came from strata now referred to the Cromer ian, and the differing proportions of taxa between sites provide limit ed evidence of time-transgression.