Pleistocene Hippopotamuses of Mediterranean islands: looking for ancestors

Al registre fossilífer del Pleistocè de les illes mediterrànies es coneixen hipopòtams que presenten adaptacions als ambients insulars: Hippopotamus pentlandi a Sicília i Malta, Hippopotamus melitensis a Malta, Hippopotamus cteutzburgi a Creta, Phanourios minutus a Xipre. Hi ha incerteses en la recerca dels ancestres dels hipopòtams insulars, les quals es deuen al desenvolupament de caràcters endèmics i a la confusió existent a la sistemàtica de les espècies continentals europees. A aquest treball es compara la morfologia craniana i la biometria dels hipopòtams insulars del Pleistocè amb la de les espècies continentals, i s'introdueix una discussió sobre la seva sistemàtica. Hippopotamus amphibius podria ser l'ancestre d' Hippopotamus pentlandi, el qual a la seva volta podria ser l'ancestre d'Hippopotamus melitensis. Hippopotamus antiquus sembla ser ]'ancestre d'Hippopotamus creutzburgi. Les característiques de Phanourios minutus similars a amphibius podrien estar relacionades amb una relació filogenètica amb aquesta espècie.Hippopotamuses, having endemic adaptations related to insular environment, are known in the Pleistocene fossil record of Mediterranean islands: Hippopotamus pentlandi in Sicily and Malta, Hippopotamus melitensis in Malta, Hippopotamus creutzburgi in Crete, Phanourios minutus in Cyprus. The uncertainties in searching for ancestors of the insular hippopotamuses are caused by the development of endemic characters and by the confusion in the systematics of European mainland species. In this paper, skull morphology and biometry of Pleistocene insular hippopotamuses are compared with those of mainland species, introducing a discussion on their systematic. Hippopotamus amphibius could be the ancestor of Hippopotamus pentlandi, which in its turn could be the ancestor of Hippopotamus melitensis. Hippopotamus antiquus seems to be the ancestor of Hippopotamus creutzburgi. The amphibius-like characters of Phanourios minutus could be related to a relationship with this species

FIRST RECORD OF DUGONGIDAE (MAMMALIA: SIRENIA) FROM THE FLORESTA CALCARENITES FORMATION (LATE BURDIGALIAN – EARLY LANGHIAN, REGGIO CALABRIA, SOUTHERN ITALY)

A sirenian rib has been recovered at Motta San Giovanni (Reggio Calabria) in the “Floresta Calcarenites”, a Formation cropping out in Sicily and Calabria and dated late Burdigalian-Langhian. Although the rib is not a diagnostic bone for taxonomy, its presence in southern Calabria extends the knowledge about the paleobiogeography of the Family Dugongidae in the Mediterranean basin. The find is hitherto the only record of sirenians in the Floresta calcarenites. Moreover, the specimen extends back to the Early-Middle Miocene (late Burdigalian-Langhian) the occurrence of sirenians in Calabria, previously determined thanks to substantial material from the Late Miocene (Tortonian) of the Monte Poro area (Vibo Valentia).  The paleoenvironment of the Floresta calcarenites was a warm and shallow sea, consistent with the paleoecology of Dugongidae

Ippopotami insulari del Pleistocene del Mediterraneo

Dottorato di ricerca in paleontologia. 11 ciclo.Tutore Giovanni Ficcarelli. Co-tutore Laura BonfiglioConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Biblioteca Centrale - P.le Aldo Moro, 7, Rome; Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale - P.za Cavalleggeri, 1, Florence / CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle RichercheSIGLEITItal

Taphonomical investigation applied to clandestine graves

Taphonomy originates as a branch of palaeontology addressed to the study of processes occurring from the pre-agonic stages of an organism to the recovery of the fossilized palaeontological record. The rigorous methodology in recording data and the analysis accuracy allows application in forensic science. The use of taphonomical procedures in studying and searching for clandestine graves is described here. In the search for clandestine graves, taphonomy can help in narrowing the area of investigations, finding sites with adequate diggability and topography, and detecting anomalies on the ground. In the study of clandestine graves, taphonomy in tandem with other disciplines, such as forensic archaeology and anthropology, may contribute to investigation with rigorous excavation methods, stratigraphical survey, environmental reconstructions, sample and evidence records, burial characterization, body positioning and damages, and preservation patterns of human skeletal remains. Applications are also possible in karstic sites where several “Mafia cemeteries” may be found in the Italian territory

<i>Tragoportax</i> cf. <i>rugosifrons</i> (Schlosser, 1904) du Miocène supérieur de Cessaniti (Italie méridionale)

Cet article décrit les restes attribuables à Tragoportax cf. rugosifrons (Schlosser, 1904) trouvés dans le site du Miocène tardif de Cessaniti (Vibo Valentia, Calabria) et dans les environs. Les spécimens étudiés proviennent des grès à Clypeaster , inclus dans une succession fluvio-marine datée entre 8 et 7,2 Ma. À Cessaniti, Tragoportax est associé à Stegotetrabelodon syrticus Petrocchi, 1941 ; Samotherium cf. boissieri Forsyth-Major, 1888; Bohlinia cf. attica Matthew, 1929 ; et un Rhinocérotidé encore à l’étude. Le genre Tragoportax était commun en Eurasie et en Afrique à la fin du Miocène. La présence de Tragoportax cf. rugosifrons à Cessaniti confirme la particularité de l’assemblage, où sont associées des espèces d’affinités nord-africaines et pikermiennes (bioprovince gréco-iranienne).This paper describes remains attributable to Tragoportax cf. rugosifrons (Schlosser, 1904) found in the late Miocene site of Cessaniti (Vibo Valentia, Calabria) and the surrounding area. The studied specimens come from the Clypeaster sandstones, included in a marine/fluvial succession dated between 8 and 7.2 Ma. At Cessaniti, Tragoportax is associated with Stegotetrabelodon syrticus Petrocchi, 1941; Samotherium cf. boissieri Forsyth-Major, 1888; Bohlinia cf. attica Matthew, 1929; and an undetermined Rhinocerotid still under study. The genus Tragoportax was common in Eurasia and Africa during the late Miocene. The occurrence of Tragoportax cf. rugosifrons at Cessaniti confirms the peculiarity of the assemblage, with its association of species of North African and Pikermian (Greco-Iranian bioprovince) affinities.</p

Sperm whale teeth from the late miocene of cessaniti (Southern italy)

This paper reports nine sperm whale (Cetacea, Odontoceti, Physeteroidea) teeth from Cessaniti, a late Miocene fossiliferous locality in the Monte Poro - Capo Vaticano area (Vibo Valentia, Calabria, Italy). This new sperm whale record further suggests a high diversity of the fossil assemblage of Cessaniti that stimulates future research addressed to reconstruct the intriguing ecological structure of the Tortonian marine vertebrate fauna that lived in this sedimentary basin

Palaeontology applied to criminal investigation

Forensic palaeontology may be applied to the scientific investigation of outdoor crime scenes because of the potential presence of geological trace evidence on victims and perpetrators due to the trace transfer from the crime scene, as a consequence of the Locard principle. Experts in palaeontology can effectively contribute to criminal investigation: i) determining the age and provenance of microfossils for comparative purposes of geological evidence, ii) characterizing the fossils suspected to be object of illegal activities and frauds, iii) characterizing the taphonomy of the evidence especially in the clandestine graves. In this last case, the contribute is more effective if investigation carried out by palaeontologists and geologists is provided by a team of experts that in cases of corpse concealment may be composed of forensic taphonomists, archaeologists, physical anthropologists, and entomologists. The present paper illustrates the main applications of palaeontology in forensics, and reports and discusses some case studies