At the eastern foothill of Kuroso-san situated at the prefectural boundary of Nara and Mie, some marshes were scattered in the topographic depression of geologic basement, Muro Welded Tuff Member, but nowadays many of them were cultivated and/or afforested. At one of them, Ike-no-hira which is now in low-moor condition, we obtained a short geologically and paleontologically interesting columnar sample with a hand auger technique. The present sample offers us indispensable Holocene geological and vegetational informations in the Muro mountain. We attempted stratigraphical, chronological and palynological investigation on 78-6 Core and discussed mainly on the Holocene vegetational change in this district.
78-6 Core consists of peat, peaty sand and mud, and intercalate two volcanic ash layers. Inferred from a historical document, Kofukuji-Nendaiki, the upper thin ash layer is supposed that it fell in ca. 1, 000y. B.P., and the lower thick layer is correlated with the Akahoya Tuff based on its glass feature and heavy mineral composition. ¹⁴C dates processed with peaty sediment were given 5, 630±70y. B.P. for the overlying peat of the Akahoya Tuff, 6, 680±85y. B.P. for the underlying peat of the same tuff, and 11, 000±120y. B.P. at the lowest part of the sequence. The present core, therefore, covers the entire Holocene.
Concerning to biostratigraphy we distinguished six pollen assemblage zones. Moreover, based on its sedimentation ratio geologic ages of their boundary were calculated. The present fossil evidences tell us that the cool temperate deciduous forest flourished during the latest Pleistocene to early Holocene time (ca. 12, 000-8, 400y. B.P.). The warm temperate ecotone forest was developed during early to middle Holocene (ca. 8, 400-6, 300y. B.P.). The climax condition of the laurel forest in this area was 1, 500-2, 000y, later than that of the environs of Osaka Bay and was in ca. 4, 300y. B.P. The laurel forest which appeared in ca. 900y. B.P. was characterized by coexistence of Pinus, Cryptomeria and Quercus. This may indicate artificial effects against the natural forest. The appearance of this forest was ca. 1, 000y. later than those of the Nara and Tawara Basins.

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The Karurusu Clay Bed (13m in thickness) is deposited following the Noboribetsu Pumice Flow Deposit, from Kuttara Volcano, The ¹⁴C age of the Bed is older than 35, 500y.B.P. and is inferred to be a little older than that of the Shikotsu Pumice Flow Deposit (ca. 32, 000y.B.P.).
The paleoclimatic condition deduced from the pollen assemblage, such as Betula, Picea, Corylus, Alnus and other several broad-leaved trees suggests a little cooler than present. Clay mineral compositions of the Bed are montmorillonite, randomly mixed-layer mineral of montmorillonite and illite, kaolinite, pyrophyllite and degrated illite. Gypsum is also found.

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The purpose of this paper is to review work on the about age and distribution of marine terraces since the last interglacial in 22 areas (excluding Japan) of the world (Fig. 1 and Table 1).
The results are as follows. 1) Distribution and uplift rate: There are a number of marine terraces lower than the last interglacial terrace (S terrace) in 12 areas; where the height of the S terrace is over 30m and the uplift rate since the formation of the S terrace is 0.3m/1000yrs. This uplift rate is the minimum rate required to expose all terraces between the S terrace and 60KA terrace, assuming that (1) tectonic uplift continues at a constant rate, and (2) the sea-level curve of MACHIDA (1975) is correct. Especially, in the areas adjacent to the trenches of plate boundary, the height of the S terrace attains 300-400m, and the uplift rate since the formation of the S terrace range between 1.5 and 3.1m/1000yrs. The difference in the uplift rate of each area is perhaps due to differences in the character of the mobile belts (OTA and NARUSE, 1977). The marine terraces younger than the S terrace are found in the “zone of plate convergence” or “zone of plate transformation”. Especially, in the “zone of plate convergence” where the uplift rate is great, many marine terraces are developed.
2) Age of terraces: The marine terraces dated ca. 100KA, 85KA and 60KA are recognized in many places of the world (Fig. 2). These ages agree well with relatively warmer episodes (Stages 3 and 5) in the oxygen-isotope stages founded in a tropical Pacific deep-sea core (SHACKELTON and OPDYKE, 1973). It is obvious that the formation of these terraces is essentially affected by sea-level fluctuations due to glacial eustasy, as has alreadly been proposed. Dates of samples mostly concentrate at 85KA then around 100KA and 60KA. This suggests the magnitude of transgressions.
Marine terraces between 50KA and 30KA have been reported in California, New Guinea, New Hebrides, India, Mediterranean and South Africa. As a result of the combined effect of crustal movement and eustatic sea level change (BLOOM et al., 1974), the uplift rate since the formation of the S terrace requires more than 1.5m/1000yrs. mento expose the former shorelines above present sea level. In the former three areas tioned above, the uplift rate is higher than this value, but in other areas, it is less. Further studies concerning the acceleration of uplift rate towards the present, modification of the paleo sea level and cross checking of dates are necessary.

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