Synchrotron radiation reveals the identity of the large felid from Monte Argentario (Early Pleistocene, Italy)

We describe here a partial skull with associated mandible of a large felid from Monte Argentario, Italy (Early Pleistocene; ~1.5 million years). Propagation x-ray phase-contrast synchrotron microtomography of the specimen, still partially embedded in the rock matrix, allows ascribing it reliably to Acinonyx pardinensis, one of the most intriguing extinct carnivorans of the Old World Plio-Pleistocene. The analysis of images and 3D models obtained through synchrotron microtomography – here applied for the first time on a Plio-Pleistocene carnivoran – reveals a mosaic of cheetah-like and Panthera-like features, with the latter justifying previous attributions of the fossil to the extinct Eurasian jaguar Panthera gombaszoegensis. Similarly, we reassign to A. pardinensis some other Italian materials previously referred to P. gombaszoegensis (sites of Pietrafitta and Ellera di Corciano). The recognition of Panthera-like characters in A. pardinensis leads to reconsidering the ecological role of this species, whose hunting strategy was likely to be different from those of the living cheetah. Furthermore, we hypothesise that the high intraspecific variation in body size in A. pardinensis can be the result of sexual dimorphism, as observed today in all large-sized felids

Braincase With Natural Endocast of a Juvenile Rhinocerotinae From the Late Middle Pleistocene Site of Melpignano (Apulia, Southern Italy)

Cranial remains of juvenile fossil rhinoceroses are rarely described in literature and very few is known about the ontogenetic development of their inner anatomy. In this study, we report the first CT based description of a juvenile braincase and its natural brain endocast of a late Middle Pleistocene Rhinocerotinae from Melpignano (Apulia, Italy). The specimen belongs to an individual about 12–18 months old, representing to date the youngest Pleistocene rhinoceros of Mediterranean Europe documented by neurocranial material. Through digital visualization methods the neurocranium has been restored and the anatomy of both the brain and the paranasal sinuses has been obtained and compared with those of juvenile and adult Pleistocene rhinoceroses. We evidence a different morphological development of the inner cranial anatomy in fossil and extant African species

Cranial Anatomy and Paleoneurology of the Extinct Sloth Catonyx tarijensis (Xenarthra, Mylodontidae) From the Late Pleistocene of Oruro, Southwestern Bolivia

Extinct scelidotheriine sloths are among the most peculiar fossil mammals from South America. In recent decades, the external cranial anatomy of Pleistocene scelidotheres such as Scelidotherium, Catonyx, and Valgipes has been the subject of numerous studies, but their endocranial anatomy remains almost completely unknown. Today, computed tomographic (CT) scanning methodologies permit the exploration of previously inaccessible anatomical areas through a completely non-destructive process. For this reason, we undertook an analysis of the external and internal cranial anatomy of Catonyx tarijensis from the late Pleistocene of the Department of Oruro, in southwestern Bolivia. One particularly well-preserved specimen allowed detailed observation of all the main cranial osteological features, including the ear region and an almost complete hyoid apparatus, previously unknown for this taxon. Moreover, CT-scanning and subsequent elaboration of digital models of this specimen allowed observation of the brain cavity and cranial sinuses, and reconstruction of the trajectory of the main cranial nerves for the first time in an extinct scelidotheriine sloth. Additionally, we recovered the first three-dimensional reconstructions of the nasal cavity and the turbinates of an extinct sloth. In contrast to the usual depiction, the combined information from the external and internal anatomy suggests reduced lingual protrusion in Catonyx tarijensis, or at least a consistently more limited protrusion of the tongue in comparison with other mylodontid sloths such as Glossotherium robustum. The new morphological information recovered from this extinct sloth is compared with the available information for both extant and extinct forms, providing insights in the paleobiology of the extinct species. The present study reveals the importance of applying these novel non-destructive techniques to elucidate the evolutionary history of sloths.Fil: Boscaini, Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Iurino, Dawid A.. Università degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza"; ItaliaFil: Mamani Quispe, Bernardino. Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de la Paz; BoliviaFil: Andrade Flores, Rubén. Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de la Paz; BoliviaFil: Sardella, Raffaele. Università degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza"; ItaliaFil: Pujos, François Roger Francis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Gaudin, Timothy. University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga; Estados Unido

3D Survey in Extreme Environment: The Case Study of LaetoliHominin Footprints in Tanzania

Many cultural assets are in risky situations and they are destined to disappear. Sometimes problems are caused bythe anthropic component (e.g. wars) or by natural disasters (e.g. earthquakes and landslides). At other times thecause of deterioration is due to the slow and inexorable action of atmospheric agents and other natural factorspresent in extreme areas, where preservation of Cultural Heritage is more complex.This contribution deals with 3D documentation of paleontological excavations in extreme contexts that arecharacterized by unfavorable climatic conditions, limited instrumentation and little time available. In particular, thecontribution is focused on the search for a good working procedure which, despite the problems mentioned above,can lead to valid results in terms of accuracy and precision, so that subsequent scientific studies are notcompromised. The proposed case study concerns the recent discovery of fossil footprints at the Site S in Laetoli,within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Tanzania), which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With the newdiscovery of Site S it was necessary to implement a 3D survey operative protocol with limited equipment and in avery short time. The 3D models, obtained through the “Structure from Motion” (SfM) technique and topographicsupport, were used to perform morphological and morphometric investigations on the new footprints. Through theanalysis it was possible to estimate height and weight of the footprint makers (hominins of the speciesAustralopithecus afarensis). The collected evidence supports marked intraspecific variation in this species, pointingout the occurrence of a considerable difference in size between sexes and suggesting inferences on reproductivebehavior and social structure of these ancient bipedal hominins.The contribution shows how important is to obtain good 3D documentation, even in extreme environment, in orderto reach reliable results for scientific analysis

Semiaquatic adaptations in a giant predatory dinosaur

Mysterious dinosaur a swimmer? Dinosaurs are often appreciated for their size and oddity. In this regard, the North African carnivorous theropod Spinosaurus , with its huge dorsal sail and a body larger than Tyrannosaurus rex , has long stood out. This species also stands out because of its history. The unfortunate loss of the type specimen during World War II left much of what we know about Spinosaurus to be divined through speculation and reconstruction. Ibrahim et al. now describe new fossils of this unusual species. They conclude it was, at least partly, aquatic, a first for dinosaurs. Science , this issue p. 1613 </jats:p

Frozen in the Ashes

Fossil footprints are very useful palaeontological tools. Their features can help to identify their makers and also to infer biological as well as behavioural information. Nearly all the hominin tracks discovered so far are attributed to species of the genus Homo. The only exception is represented by the trackways found in the late 1970s at Laetoli, which are thought to have been made by three Australopithecus afarensis individuals about 3.66 million years ago. We have unearthed and described the footprints of two more individuals at Laetoli, who were moving on the same surface, in the same direction, and probably in the same timespan as the three found in the 1970s, apparently all belonging to a single herd of bipedal hominins walking from south to north. The estimated stature of one of the new individuals (about 1.65 m) exceeds those previously published for Au. afarensis. This evidence supports the existence of marked morphological variation within the species. Considering the bipedal footprints found at Laetoli as a whole, we can hypothesize that the tallest individual may have been the dominant male, the others smaller females and juveniles. Thus, considerable differences may have existed between sexes in these human ancestors, similar to modern gorillas

The wolf from the Middle Pleistocene site of Ostiense (Rome). The last occurrence of Canis mosbachensis (Canidae, Mammalia) in Italy

The phyletic relationship between Canis lupus and the Early-Middle Pleistocene Canis mosbachensis is widely accepted among scholars, although the taxonomy of several European fossil specimens is still debated. In the last decades, many studies focused on the evolution of Pleistocene wolves have been proposed considering new materials as well as specimens belonging to historical collections. The canid remains recovered during the last century and housed in museums, undoubtedly represent a valuable source of biometric and morphological data which require, in some cases, an updated review of the fossil material. Indeed, cases of stratigraphic and taxonomic misinterpretations represent a potential loss of information for understanding the palaeobiology of these iconic predators. Here we provide the first updated description of the specimen belonging to the collection of the Italian geologist and palaeontologist Alessandro Portis dating back to the early last century. Previously reported as Canis lupus, the cranium from the historical excavation of Ostiense palaeontological site (Rome, Italy) is ascribed to the Early-Middle Pleistocene wolf Canis mosbachensis. Moreover, the reassessment of the stratigraphic and geological data of the Ostiense site led to consider the studied specimen as the last occurrence of the Mosbach wolf in the Italian fossil record

New material of Sus strozzii (Suidae, Mammalia) from the Early Pleistocene of Italy and a phylogenetic analysis of suines

Sus strozzii is the only species of Suinae occurring in the first part of Early Pleistocene in Europe and western Asia. It is characterized by a large body size and several morphological similarities with extinct and extant pigs from Island South East Asia (ISEA), such as the Javan Warty Pig S. verrucosus. In this study, a new mandible of S. strozzii from the Early Pleistocene of Pantalla (central Italy) is described and the diagnosis of the species is emended. Based on 52 craniomandibular and dental morphological characters, the first phylogenetic analysis of both living and fossil Eurasian and African Suinae is carried out to reconstruct their relationships. Our results are in agreement with the literature based on molecular and/or morphological analyses. The late Miocene Microstonyx is the first taxon to branch off the monophyletic Suinae clade. The separation between the African (Kolpochoerus/Hylochoerus and Metridiochoerus/Phacochoerus) and the Eurasian (Sus) clades occurred early, probably even in the late Miocene. The inclusion of Potamochoerus in the latter group is questionable, being probably due to the retaining of similar plesiomorphic characters in this African pig and in Sus. The Wild Boar S. scrofa and the Early–Middle Pleistocene S. lydekkeri are the species of Sus that display the most numerous plesiomorphic character states. They are followed by the monophyletic group of suines that show verrucosic lower canines, which includes the Pliocene S. arvernensis, S. strozzii, and the extinct and extant verrucosic pigs from ISEA

Late Pleistocene mammal faunal assemblage from Cava Spagnulo (Grottaglie, Apulia, SE Italy)

International audienceThe Quaternary sedimentary succession exposed at Cava Spagnulo, nearby the town of Grottaglie (Apulia, Southern Italy), is described for the first time. A preliminary list of the mammal remains from the upper part of the succession, has been compared with other Pleistocene Apulian sites. The identified taxa are represented by cranial and postcranial fragments and isolated teeth of bovids, cervids, equids, canids and lagomorph. In the same deposit also few Mousterian stone tools have been found. The study of the mammal assemblage and the lithic tools suggest that the upper part of the succession exposed at Cava Spagnulo could be referred to the second part of the marine isotopic stage 3

The Late Pleistocene European badger Meles meles from Grotta Laceduzza (Brindisi, Apulia, Southern Italy): the analysis of the morphological and biometric variability

In the last decades, many studies have focused on the description of fossil badger materials from Eurasia and several evolutionary hypotheses have been proposed. Nevertheless, the debate on taxonomy of the Late Villafranchian-Aurelian European badgers is still far from being solved and several species/subspecies were established over time. Herein, we described for the first time the craniodental and postcranial remains of Meles meles from Grotta Laceduzza (Apulia, Southern Italy), representing the largest sample of this taxon in the European Pleistocene record. Morphological and morphometric comparisons with fossils coming from the European Pleistocene sites were carried out; morphometric data were also compared with those of several extant populations of the European badger. The results of this work suggest that the badger fossil remains from the Mediterranean region can be considered as an ecomorphotype of this highly polymorphic species, showing a great morphological and morphometric variability throughout its wide geographical range. This variability is mainly expressed in some craniodental features and body size and could reflect local ecological adaptations, also linked to glacial/interglacial cycles