Cuon alpinus (Pallas, 1811) from the Late Pleistocene site of Ingarano (Foggia, southern Italy) and insights on the Eurasian Middle to Late Pleistocene record

In this study, we report for the first time the presence of Cuon alpinus from the Late Pleistocene site of Ingarano (Foggia, southern Italy), represented by an right upper first molar. Considering the intricate and debated taxonomy of fossil dholes, our comparative analyses on dental samples (P4, M1, and M1) of the extant and Middle to Late Pleistocene dholes from Europe, has been performed evidencing a relevant degree of morphological variability and a biometric uniformity of the considered teeth. Our results indicate the lack of clear morphological and biometric features for a reliable teeth-based classification of fossil dholes, questioning the validity of the fossil taxa currently proposed in the literature. Finally, to avoid the propagatio

A lynx natural brain endocast from Ingarano (Southern Italy; Late Pleistocene). Taphonomic, Morphometric and Phylogenetic approaches

A natural brain endocast from the Late Pleistocene site of Ingarano (Apulia, Southern Italy) has been investigated in detail using CT scanning, image processing techniques and Geometric Morphometrics to obtain information about the taxonomy and taphonomy of the specimen. Based on its characteristically felid shape, we compared several measurements of the endocast with those of the brains of living Felidae, with a special emphasis on Panthera pardus, Lynx lynx and Felis silvestris earlier reported from the same locality. The applied combination of techniques revealed that this specimen is morphometrically closest to the brains of lynxes, and so can be reported as the first natural endocranial cast of Late Pleistocene Lynx sp. In addition, CT scanning of the Ingarano endocast allowed us to reconstruct the early stages of its taphonomy (i.e., the process of infilling of the braincase with the sediment)

A REAPPRAISAL OF THE PLEISTOCENE MAMMALS FROM THE KARST INFILLING DEPOSITS OF THE MAGLIE AREA (LECCE, APULIA, SOUTHERN ITALY)

The karst fissures known as “ventarole”, located in the Salentine Peninsula (southernmost part of Apulia, Italy), were first studied by Mirigliano in 1941. These fissures are generally filled with reddish sediments or “terre rosse” in the lower part, and with brownish sediments or “terre brune” in the upper one. Both deposits are particularly rich in vertebrate remains. The mammal assemblages collected within the “terre rosse” from Melpignano and San Sidero are chronologically referred to the early Late Pleistocene (MIS 5), whereas those from the “terre brune” are referred to the Late Pleistocene – Early Holocene (MIS 2/1) transition. These ages were estimated from correlation with the similarly reddish and brownish sediments cropping out in Grotta Romanelli and with other Apulian local faunal assemblages. However, no detailed textural or mineralogical characterization has been carried out on the “ventarole” deposits. Moreover, the presence of several species led to a hypothes of persistence of Middle Pleistocene taxa during the Late Pleistocene in Apulia. In addition, the fauna of Melpignano was proposed as a Faunal Unit of the late Aurelian Land Mammal Age. In the last two decades, a team from the Department of Earth Sciences of Sapienza University of Rome have carried out fieldwork in this fossiliferous area. The rich fossil sample recovered is here presented, coupled with a reassessment of the remains collected since the 1900s. The updated faunal lists of Melpignano and San Sidero include several new species here identified for the first time, in particular Dama clactoniana, Equus mosbachensis and Lynx pardinus. New biochronological and paleoenvironmental data for southern Italy are presented, deriving from the analyses of the mammal remains from Melpignano and San Sidero and their comparison with those from other Middle-Late Pleistocene Apulian sites. Finally, textural and mineralogical analyses performed on several “ventarole” samples allow for a better description of the characteristics of the “terre rosse” and “terre brune”

Grotta Romanelli (Southern Italy, Apulia): legacies and issues in excavating a key site for the Pleistocene of the Mediterranean

Grotta Romanelli, located on the adriatic coast of southern apulia (Italy), is considered a key site for the Mediterranean Pleistocene for its archaeological and palaeontological contents. The research team had to deal with the consequences of more than 40 years of inactivity in the eld and the combined effect of erosion and legal, as well as illegal, excavations. In this paper, we provide a database of all the information published during the rst 70 years of excavations and highlight the outstanding problems and contradictions between the chronological and geomorphological evidence, the features of the faunal assemblages and the limestone artefacts

BODY SIZE REDUCTION AND TOOTH AGENESIS IN LATE PLEISTOCENE MELES MELES (CARNIVORA, MAMMALIA) FROM INGARANO (SOUTHERN ITALY)

In mammals combined factors such as body size reduction and loss of peripheral teeth are often associated with endemism phenomena. This condition is particularly evident in insular contexts where is a complete geographic isolation. During the Pleistocene there have been several glacial stages, which changed the physiognomy of the Italian peninsula strongly influencing the distribution and morphology of mammalian faunas. Several genetic studies have shown that some Southern Italian areas have particular endemic species of small and medium size mammals. During Pleistocene these areas have been characterized by particular climatic/environmental conditions, and are generally called "glacial refugia". They represent geographically isolated areas over time, where the origin of faunas with peculiar features is favoured. In this study, the occurrence of Meles meles from the Late Pleistocene site of Ingarano (Apulia, Southern Italy) is documented for the first time. This taxon is represented only by a partial skull (splancnocranum) that, despite the relative completeness, includes peculiar and well-preserved dental features that could be related to a partial endemic condition. The fossil shows a reduced body size and the agenesis of peripheral teeth, both conditions that are typical of the extant badgers from Crete, Rhodes and Japan. To test this hypothesis, tomographic analysis have been provided to establish the dental agenesis, and, in order to understand the magnitude of the body size reduction, biometric analyses have been carried on. The obtained data have been compared to measures of the extant Eurasian badgers.SHORT NOT

CT scanning analysis of Megantereon whitei (Carnivora, Machairodontinae) from Monte Argentario (Early Pleistocene, central Italy): evidence of atavistic teeth.

CT scanning analysis applied to vertebrate palaeontology is providing an increasing number of data of great interest. This method can be used in many branches of palaeontology such as the investigation of all the fossilized elements in a hard matrix and the hidden structures in the bones. A large number of pathologies are "hidden", completely or partially invisible on the external surface of the bones because their development took place within the bones. However, the study of these diseases and abnormalities plays a crucial role in our understanding of evolutionary and adaptive processes of extinct taxa. The analysis of a partial skeleton of the sabre-toothed felid Megantereon whitei from the Early Pleistocene karst filling deposits of Monte Argentario (Tuscany, Italy) has been carried out. The CT scanning analysis put in evidence the presence of supernumerary teeth (P(2)) and the absence of P3 in the mandible. The occurrence of P(2) can be considered as an evidence of atavism. Such an archaic feature is recorded for the first time in Megantereon

Medical CT scanning and the study of hidden oral pathologies in fossil carnivores

Skeletal pathologies and oral disease are largely unexplored in fossil carnivores. Dental abnormalities, fractures, trauma, supernumerary teeth, tumours, periodontitis, and other bacterial infections are some of the diseases that leave traces on fossilized skulls, but their identification is not always possible by external observation on the specimen. Moreover a large number of pathologies are "hidden", partially or completely invisible on the external surface of the bones because their development took place within the bones. The degree and the type of fossilization, the state of preservation and the fossil size are just a few other factors that influence the analysis of these structures. Digital scanning techniques are useful to solve such difficulties. X-ray study can provide valuable information on bone and teeth diseases, by allowing the visualization of the internal structure of the fossil bones, without the alteration and/or destruction of the specimen. Many aspects of the life of carnivores are regulated by their health condition, and in particular by the teeth and jaws conditions, individuals with evident disability due to the pathology and injuries are not able to perform properly some basic activities, such as foraging and defence. This paper presents new methods of non-invasive analysis to identify and understand oral pathologies in fossil carnivores. They can be further explored to obtain detailed palaeoecological reconstructions of their mode of life. © 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

The latest Early Pleistocene sabertoothed cat Homotherium (Felidae, Mammalia) from Monte Peglia (Umbria, central Italy)

The latest Early Pleistocene karst infill deposits outcropping at Monte Peglia (Umbria, central Italy) have been the focus of a variety of field expeditions by researchers from the “Istituto Italiano di Paleontologia Umana” during the period from 1955 to 1968. These studies have led to the discovery of two distinct vertebrate assemblages considered as being similar in age. In 1955 large vertebrate remains were found and, in particular, many isolated teeth were collected that are referable to a single specimen of the saber-toothed cat Homotherium. The taxonomy of Homotherium, mainly based on cranio-dental features, is still controversial and the diverse interpretations are due essentially to the rarity of complete fossil specimens and the high variability of these records. Herein the specimen from Monte Peglia is referred to Homotherium latidens (Owen) and its affinities with the late Villafranchian and Galerian specimens from Eurasia are discussed