Geothermal spa helped temperate plants survive the last ice age

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By JAN HOŠEK et al, Science. 

Summary: Around 20,000 years ago, the land we now call Europe was almost entirely encased in ice. It was near the end of what scientists refer to as the last glacial maximum (LGM). Species not well suited to such chilly conditions either moved south to more temperate areas near the Mediterranean or were simply wiped out. Or, so many scientists thought. Now, fossils in the Czech Republic suggest there was an ‘oasis’ of sorts in the region, warmed by hot springs, which kept temperate plants alive during the global winter. ...we present the first unequivocal proof that thermophilous trees such as oak (Quercus), linden (Tilia), and common ash (Fraxinus excelsior) survived the LGM in Central Europe... 

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