  The paper presents an analysis of mechanical, structural, thermophysical and
spectral properties of solid methane in temperature interval $0.5T_{tr}
-T_{tr}$ ($T_{tr}$ is the triple point temperature) under equilibrium vapor
pressure. It is shown that the anomalies of the studied properties at
temperatures 60--70~K have been observed in the body of the reviewed papers. A
concept of "topons" (collective excitations of rotational degrees of freedom in
solid methane) is proposed. A whole of the observed anomalies can be explained
in the frames of this concept.
  Key words: solid methane, quantum crystals, rotational degrees of freedom,
thermophysical and mechanical properties of the crystals
