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After forty years from its discovery, the history of the field surveys and of the researches on the fossiliferous deposits of Gargano is briefly reported. The Gargano fauna belongs to the Abruzzo-Apulian Palaeobioprovince (including also... more
After forty years from its discovery, the history of the field surveys and of the researches on the fossiliferous deposits of Gargano is briefly reported. The Gargano fauna belongs to the Abruzzo-Apulian Palaeobioprovince (including also Scontrone and Pálena, Abruzzo). The fossil assemblage comprehends all the classes of terrestrial vertebrates: Reptilia, Amphibia, Aves and Mammalia. The faunal composition is unbalanced and presents the features of a typical insular endemic fauna. The bulk of the assemblage is composed of small mammals and birds. Based on literature, we report the most characteristic features, phylogenetic relationships, and evolutionary remarks on a list of mammals, focusing particularly on the adaptations of the most endemic taxa. Moreover, a biochronological scheme of the major faunal events is proposed and illustrated. Although still imperfect, the scheme is the first synopsis of all the biochronological and taxonomical information on mammals so far available. E...
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Page 118. Quaternary stratigraphy and paleontology of the Southern Russia 118 THE EARLY TO MIDDLE PLEISTOCENE ITALIAN BOVIDAE: BIOCHRONOLOGY AND PALAEOECOLOGY Maria Rita PALOMBO. Università degli ...
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ABSTRACT During the Quaternary, bovids are common elements in the Italian local faunal assemblages (LFAs). Representatives of Bovini tribe are continuously present, albeit with different lineages. Caprini are sporadically recorded by... more
ABSTRACT During the Quaternary, bovids are common elements in the Italian local faunal assemblages (LFAs). Representatives of Bovini tribe are continuously present, albeit with different lineages. Caprini are sporadically recorded by several genera, and Antilopini are less represented, only during the Early Pleistocene in the middle and early late Villafranchian local faunal assemblages (LFAs).Diversity and ecological role of continental representatives of Italian Bovidae varied with LFAs as well as in faunal units (FUs) throughout the Early and Middle Pleistocene. Species richness and diversity peaked during the early late Villafranchian land mammal age (LMA) and then decreased in the post-Jaramillo Early Pleistocene and at the beginning of the Middle Pleistocene (early and early middle Galerian LMA). That time was characterized by the exclusive presence of bovids preferring open environments. The small-sized bovids disappeared by the late Villafranchian, but a major renewal of the guild took place at the transition from the Galerian to Aurelian LMA) (late Middle Pleistocene).Endemic species are recorded in a few Italian islands: goat-like bovids with uncertain phylogenetic affinity are recorded from the Late Pliocene to the Early Pleistocene in Sardinia, while subspecies of Bovini, reduced in size, were present in Sicily during the Late Middle and Late Pleistocene and have been claimed as present on the island of Pianosa (Tuscany).
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Résumé/Abstract The post-Miocene marine succession of the «Apricena horst» is described with the purpose to verify the chronostratigraphic constraints for the type-locality of the Pirro Nord Faunal Unit. The stratigraphic succession has... more
Résumé/Abstract The post-Miocene marine succession of the «Apricena horst» is described with the purpose to verify the chronostratigraphic constraints for the type-locality of the Pirro Nord Faunal Unit. The stratigraphic succession has been subdivided in four units ...
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ABSTRACT A small moonrat belonging to the Galericini tribe occurs in all the assemblages from the Terre Rosse fissure fillings of the Gargano. It was first mentioned in the pioneering report of Freudenthal and by Butler in his study of... more
ABSTRACT A small moonrat belonging to the Galericini tribe occurs in all the assemblages from the Terre Rosse fissure fillings of the Gargano. It was first mentioned in the pioneering report of Freudenthal and by Butler in his study of the “gigantic” Deinogalerix, and has been quoted with different names several times in faunal lists of the Terre Rosse endemic faunas. Up to date, however, the description of this gymnure has never been achieved. We present here the taxonomical and morphological description of a sample from Fissure Filling F32 that is considered to document the youngest phase of population of the Gargano Paleoarchipelago. The comparisons with genera Galerix, Parasorex and Schizogalerix, show that the Gargano gymnure is well distinct from these three genera, and that it deserves a generic status. The small Galericini is therefore referred to Apulogalerix pusillus nov. gen., nov. sp. The enlarged and swollen premolar series, the small, pointed molars, some details in the morphology of the lower fourth premolar and of the third upper premolar, indicate that Apulogalerix nov. gen. is an endemic taxon, likely derived from a Parasorex ancestor, which specialized in a malacophagous diet.
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The Sant’Arcangelo Basin is located in the southern part of the Apennine chain (Basilicata). It is filled by a siliciclastic sequence 3500 m thick, dated to the Late Pliocene–Middle Pleistocene time interval. In this basin an Early Middle... more
The Sant’Arcangelo Basin is located in the southern part of the Apennine chain (Basilicata). It is filled by a siliciclastic sequence 3500 m thick, dated to the Late Pliocene–Middle Pleistocene time interval. In this basin an Early Middle Pleistocene fluvio-lacustrine sequence, known as San Lorenzo Cycle, has been recognised. In the upper part of the sequence, in Rifreddo, a fairly diversified small vertebrate assemblage has been recovered.The occurrence of Mimomys savini allows to the fauna to be considered as Biharian. The presence of some faunal elements such as Microtus (Terricola) arvalidens, Microtus (Iberomys) ex gr. huescarensis-brecciensis, and Macroneomys cf. brachygnathus restricts the age of the Rifreddo assemblage to the latest part of this Mammal Age. In several European localities, sediments containing such late Biharian faunas are correlated with the lower part of Brunhes magnetochrone (e.g. the normally magnetised sections at West Runton in the United Kingdom, Voigtstedt in Germany and Přezletice in the Czech Republic) or just below this boundary (e.g. the negatively magnetised part of the Atapuerca section—levels TD4-6 in Spain). Taking into account the faunal composition and the positive magnetisation of the sediments outcropping at the Rifreddo locality, the chronological referral of the mammal assemblage can be restricted to the early Brunhes and therefore to the early middle part of Middle Pleistocene.
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The fossil record of the Savi vole, Microtus (Terricola) savii, is analyzed in terms of morphological and morphometrical variability of the first lower molar, in order to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships between insular and mainland... more
The fossil record of the Savi vole, Microtus (Terricola) savii, is analyzed in terms of morphological and morphometrical variability of the first lower molar, in order to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships between insular and mainland populations and the dispersal events. The present work gives a contribution to better understand the phylogenetic history of this taxon in Sicily and Southern Italy during the interval Middle Pleistocene – Holocene, in an attempt to reconstruct the relationships between insular and continental voles and to clarify some paleobiogeographical aspects. The morphometrical data have been acquired by traditional measurements of the first lower molar and analyzed by dispersal diagrams and Principal Components Analysis.The fossil Sicilian samples have a greater size variation than extant ones. Two different morphological groups have been identified and named on the basis of the similarity with European or Italian populations: a “subterraneomorph” one (characterized by a tighter symmetric anterior cap and longer anteroconid), similar to European M. (T.) subterraneus species, and a “savimorph” one (more confluent and asymmetric anterior cap and shorter anteroconid), occasionally with the accentuation of morphological characters of M. (T.) savii.The results, in particular the differences between Pleistocene and Holocene Sicilian populations and the similarities with the mainland ones, suggest that the Savi vole dispersed at least twice in Sicily. One colonization took place likely during the cold stage MIS 6 (recorded at Isolidda 3) with dispersal events, made possible by the sea level drop and the connection with the mainland, and a second one (documented at San Teodoro cave and other Holocene assemblages) during MIS 4 (by dispersal events) or MIS 3 (by accidental transit or limited faunal exchanges).
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A facies analysis and preliminary palaeoclimate and biochronology investigation, are presented for the San Lorenzo lacustrine deposits, outcropping in the Pliocene to Pleistocene satellite Sant’Arcangelo Basin (Southern Apennines). Facies... more
A facies analysis and preliminary palaeoclimate and biochronology investigation, are presented for the San Lorenzo lacustrine deposits, outcropping in the Pliocene to Pleistocene satellite Sant’Arcangelo Basin (Southern Apennines). Facies analysis shows that sedimentation developed in the inner zone of a terrigenous-dominated fresh water lake. The pollen record shows repeated alternations between two distinct vegetational assemblages, one dominated by steppe taxa, and the other one by forest taxa. The faunal assemblage is indicative of a late Biharian mammal age. The palaeomagnetic survey yielded three polarity intervals throughout the succession; the middle one is of reversed polarity (and is associated with a volcaniclastic layer radiometrically dated at approximately 1 Ma), and thus the two normal polarity intervals are identified as the Jaramillo subchron and the base of the Brunhes chron. The detailed geological and paleontological analyses as well as the preliminary results from the palynological and magnetostratigraphical investigation, indicates that these deposits may contain a continuous record of both climatic changes and tectonic activity within the Sant’Arcangelo Basin during the early and middle Pleistocene.
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Over the last 50 years the studies on terrestrial mammals of the Italian peninsula have provided a large volume of data and a more detailed knowledge of faunal events during the Late Pliocene and Quaternary. Moreover geological,... more
Over the last 50 years the studies on terrestrial mammals of the Italian peninsula have provided a large volume of data and a more detailed knowledge of faunal events during the Late Pliocene and Quaternary. Moreover geological, sedimentological, palynological and magnetostratigraphical investigations on the Pliocene–Pleistocene continental sedimentary basins have yielded the possibility of a detailed calibration of the faunal successions. Thus, palaeontologists have been able to reconstruct faunal sequences and to propose biochronological scales based on large and small mammals, respectively. In the present contribution an integration of the two biochronological scales is proposed, and the successions of bioevents are carefully compared. This integrated approach allows the constraint of the sequence of large- and small-mammal events in a more reliable way, and therefore it results in a more detailed and consistent chronological use of mammalian assemblages. Particular attention is paid to the faunal changes that correspond to the Middle–Late Pliocene (2.6 ma), Pliocene–Pleistocene (1.8 ma) and Early–Middle Pleistocene (Gauss–Matuyama transition) chronostratigraphical boundaries.
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An overview of the population histories of three insular realms (Gargano palaeo-archipelago, Sardinia–Maritime Tuscany palaeo-bioprovince and the Sicilian insular complex) during the Late Miocene and Quaternary are here presented. The... more
An overview of the population histories of three insular realms (Gargano palaeo-archipelago, Sardinia–Maritime Tuscany palaeo-bioprovince and the Sicilian insular complex) during the Late Miocene and Quaternary are here presented. The complexity of biodiversity changes in the islands is analysed to propose an interpretation of origination and extinction patterns. The study highlighted several important aspects of insular faunas. Evolutionary radiations were found to contribute significantly only to the Gargano faunal diversity, likely because the area was an archipelago at the time.Another interesting result is that large and small mammals do not disperse and become extinct all at the same time on each island. In fact, because of their distinct body sizes, large and small mammals have different dispersal ability and therefore different chances to cross-filtering barriers. But distinct body sizes means also different influence on diversity, resistance to environmental changes and likelihood of extinction. Another important point is that large mammalian carnivores at the top of the trophic net are quite more fragile and susceptible to become extinct than other predators.The study finally shows the clear influence that the intense Middle and Late Pleistocene climate-driven environmental changes had on island communities. The reconstruction of the faunal histories of Sardinia and Sicily shows that without exchanges with the mainland the island system represents a rather stable refuge area not too affected by the changes in the “physical” parameters of the environment. In contrast, if the island is frequently connected with the continent, insular faunal assemblages tend to behave as their mainland counterparts.
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The morphology of the first lower molars of the Microtia species found in eight samples collected in the ‘terre rosse’ fillings of the karst fissure network of Gargano (Puglia, Italy) have been studied through bivariate and principal... more
The morphology of the first lower molars of the Microtia species found in eight samples collected in the ‘terre rosse’ fillings of the karst fissure network of Gargano (Puglia, Italy) have been studied through bivariate and principal component analyses. The data fall into seven systematic units that indicate that at least four phyletic lineages were present in the Gargano area. The evolutionary modifications of the characteristics of the various lineages are discussed.