Riccardo Manni

Studiando un vecchio cartellino in carta pergamena, accompagnante un pesce fossile conservato nel Museo di Paleontologia dell'Università di Roma "La Sapienza", si ricostruisce la storia di un regalo fatto a Papa Clemente XI da un barone della Westphalia nel settecento

<jats:p>A new paracomatulid crinoid, Tiburtocrinus toarcensis gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Lower Jurassic of Tivoli (central Apennines, Italy). This type of stemless crinoids has never previously been recorded in Italy, and this report bridges a significant gap. Morphofunctional analysis of the radial facets suggests that Tiburtocrinus toarcensis gen. et sp. nov. may have been a crawling paracomatulid, very different from other paracomatulids that probably swam.</jats:p>

Abstract: Crinoid remains from Cenomanian limestones in SE Anatolia have been studied. These crinoids belong to the family Roveacrinidae and are characterised by their lacking a stem and free living above the sea floor. A new species, Roveacrinus derdereensis Manni, n. sp., has been erected.

An almost complete salamandrid specimen has recently been discovered from diatomite deposits in the Sabatini Volcanic District, at the Fosso di San Martino locality, about 45 km north of Rome (Rignano Flamino, Latium, central Italy). The age of the fossil- bearing level is constrained between 488±2 and 457±4 ka based on the presence of well-dated volcanic ash layers at the top and at the bed of the diatomite level where the specimen was embedded. The fossil record of Caudata from the Pleistocene of central Italy is scarce, and this new find adds important data on the presence of the taxon in this area. The specimen, although comprised of a fairly complete and articulated skeleton, shows a sub-optimal preservation of single bony elements, to such an extent that a definite taxonomic assignment is not feasible. Moreover, it probably represents a juvenile individual in somatic terms at the time of the death. The specimen is tentatively referred to Triturus sp. RIASSUNTO - (Un salamandri...

This article reports the state of the art of research on the Jurassic tetrapod footprints from Italy. All the sites discovered so far are characterized by dinosaur footprints and located in the Southern Alps (Northeastern Italy, Veneto, Trentino Alto-Adige) with the exception of the Mattinata tracksite (Southern Italy, Gargano Promontory, Apulia). The tracksites from the Southern Alps belong to four distinct stratigraphic horizons of the Lower Jurassic Calcari Grigi Group whereas the Mattinata track-bearing blocks are doubtfully assigned to the Upper Jurassic Sannicandro Formation (Kimmeridgian-Tithonian). For each site information is provided on the geographical and geological setting, age, ichnotaxonomy and possible trackmakers. The history of the discoveries, the evolution of the ichnological knowledge and the study techniques adopted through time are also described.

Since the late XIX century, Meli described some pieces of peperino, coming from Alban Hills Volcanic District, containing bones and casts of head, feathers and plumages of an Eurasian griffon specimen (Gyps fulvus). We are able to find part of this material (casts) among the collections of the "Leonardo da Vinci" I.I.S.S., Rome.

ABSTRACT A new cyrtocrinid is described from the Dogger of the Central Apennines. It is named Crataegocrinus toniellii, and it is included in the suborder Cyrtocrinina Sieverts-Doreck, 1952, family incertae sedis. Scarcity of material, only three cups, prevents us to establish a new family.

ABSTRACT A new cyrtocrinid is described from Bajocian sediments of central Italy and named Ninocrinus parvulus n.gen. n.sp. The characters of the new taxon suggest close relationships with eugeniacrinitids and phyllocrinids but also with saccocomids, such relationships could suggest deep changes in the Systematics. After a short analytic review a reiterative evolutionary model for free-living Articulata is also hypothesize.

ABSTRACT A new cyrtocrinid crinoid coming from Bajocian sediments of Central Italy is described and named Fischericrinus sandrae n.gen., n.sp.: moreover Phyllocrinus belbekensis Arendt, 1974 is point out and discussed from the systematics point of view. It is the first time that cyrtocrinids surely Bajocian in age coming from the Italy are described and these findings let us hypothesize an origin of cyrtocrinid crinoids somewhat different by previous works.

15 genera of stemmed and one stemless crinoids found in the Jurassic sediments of the Central Italy are here described. All but one pertain to the dadocrinids whereas scattered and badly preserved specimens of isocrinids and millericrinids, relatively rare in our outcrops, are just mentioned. A single genus still remains of uncertain family attribution. We ascribed to them more than 20 species coming from the study area, someone in open nomenclature. Some forms are pointed out for the first time from the area. Stemless forms are represented only by two species of the genus Saccocoma while at the moment comatulids seems to be absent at all. Two main assemblages (further subdivided in their inside) recognized from different facies and ages are depicted and their evolutive history is schematized and analyzed.

A new cyrtocrinid crinoid coming from Bajocian sediments of Central Italy is described and named Fischericrinus sandrae n.gen., n.sp.: moreover Phyllocrinus belbekensis Arendt, 1974 is point out and discussed from the systematics point of view. It is the first time that cyrtocrinids surely Bajocian in age coming from the Italy are described and these findings let us hypothesize an origin of cyrtocrinid crinoids somewhat different by previous works.

A new cyrtocrinid is described from Bajocian sediments of central Italy and named Ninocrinus parvulus n.gen. n.sp. The characters of the new taxon suggest close relationships with eugeniacrinitids and phyllocrinids but also with saccocomids, such relationships could suggest deep changes in the Systematics. After a short analytic review a reiterative evolutionary model for free-living Articulata is also hypothesize.

New fossil cyrtocrinid crinoids coming from liassic sediments near Tivoli (Latium, Central Italy), are described. Besides the revision of the suborder Holopodina Arendt, 1974 is made and a new suborder for eudesicrinids is established. The family Cotyledermatiade Wright, 1876 is restituted. Lastly, evolutionary patterns are discused.

The evolution of a group of Mesozoic Tethyan crinoids, the cyrtocrinids, is followed through its whole development. After examination of cyrtocrinid palaeogeographic distribution patterns and of the palaeoenvironmental characteristics of the outcrops in which they were found, one can hypothesise that few, apparently less important, adaptive strategies, on a peculiar scenario, were able to drive this group to dominate the Tethys crinoid faunas for some 60 MY

For a long time Saccocoma Agassiz, 1836 ha been considered a pelagic crinoid, living within the Tethys and along its margins. Profound taphonomic and morphofunctional analyses of complete and disarticulated specimens of different species of this genus were carried out both in Central Apennines (Italy) and Frankenalb (Germany), within different facies. They allowed a quite different interpretation of its life style from the current one. In fact arm articulations, physiology, statistical analysis of the preburial final stage on thousands of specimens, some peculiar preservation cases (autotomised, crashed and collapsed specimens), supportetd a benthic life style for this crinoid. Saccocoma is here considered as an opportunistic mud-sticker and its "typical swimming plates" are reinterpreted as shields against detritus invasion.

For the first time Tertiary non-isocrinid crinoids of the Michelotti Collection are described. In particular, Conocrinus pyriformis, C. thorenti, C. seguenzai, Holopus spileccense, and Cyathidium gastaldii are recognized. The material comes from Eocene and Miocene sediments of Piedmont and Veneto outcrops (North Italy).

Paleontological museums should adopt a code of ethics in order to carry out restorations and to set-up exhibits without any falsification. Indeed, alterations can often be voluntary because an exhibit needs to be ‘beautiful’, ‘realistic’ or ‘charming’ for the public. Therefore, the reconstructed parts are painted and then ‘soiled’ artfully to look more realistic. An incomplete skeleton might be completed by reconstructing the missing bones, or by adding casts of other bones. Sometimes skeletons are ‘created’, by assembling together bones from several specimens of the same species. Therefore, the museum staff should also inform visitors if a specimen has undergone such tampering, because otherwise each visitor is convinced that they have seen a ‘true’ fossil. So all museum staff should be trained not only in the techniques of museums, but also in the ethics of restoration and installation.

Un echinide descritto da Cotteau come Clypeaster lovisatoi Cotteau, 1895 e successivamente considerato perso da Checchia-Rispoli è stato recuperato e viene qui eretto a lectotipo di Clypeaster (Stolonoclypus) ichnusae Checchia-Rispoli, 1928.