The Gelasian (Late Villanyan-MN17) diversified micromammal assemblage with Mimomys pliocaenicus from Coste San Giacomo (Anagni basin, central Italy), taxonomy and comparison with selected european sites

The Gelasian site of Coste San Giacomo (CSG) (central Italy) provides a unique opportunity to investigate the faunal and environmental changes occurred in Mediterranean Europe during the Early Pleistocene. The finding of both large and small mammal fauna has a great biochronological and palaeoenvironmental value. In this work the description of the small mammal assemblage is presented and discussed in detail for the first time. Twelve taxa, belonging to three orders, have been in fact identified and described (six Rodentia, one Lagomorpha and five Eulipotyphla). In particular, the CSG small mammal assemblage has provided the largest collection in Europe of Mimomys pliocaenicus and, for this reason, it can be considered as a reference. Finally, the occurrence of the Desmaninae subfamily is reported for the first time in Italy. © 2015 Associazione Teriologica Italiana

REMARKS ON THE STRATIGRAPHY AND BIOCHRONOLOGY OF THE LATE PLEISTOCENE DEPOSIT OF INGARANO (APULIA, SOUTHERN ITALY)

New field data on the Late Pleistocene deposit of Ingarano (Foggia) allow us to hypothesise the occurrence of three faunal assemblages (Ingarano a, b, c) respectively referable to isotopic stages 4, 3 and 2 of the palaeotemperature scale. The palaeontological data match with the alternating palaeoclimatical conditions during Late Pleistocene times. &nbsp

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

Macaca sylvanus Linnaeus 1758 from the Middle Pleistocene of Quecchia Quarry (Brescia, Northern Italy)

During the Plio-Pleistocene the Barbary macaque, Macaca sylvanus Linnaeus, 1758 was widely distributed throughout Europe and North Africa (Szalay and Delson, 1979; Delson, 1980; Rook et al., 2001), and it became extinct in Europe during the Late Pleistocene (Elton and O’Regan, 2014). Nowadays this primate is still present in North Africa and a small population has been reintroduced at Gibraltar (Modolo et al., 2005). The taxonomy of the Plio-Pleistocene European macaques is still debated but many authors agree in considering all the fossils as belonging to the M. sylvanus lineage, while the Pleistocene endemic M. majori Azzaroli, 1946 from Sardinia (Italy) has been considered a distinct valid species (Rook and O’Higgins, 2005). The occurrence of this species is documented from Late Pliocene to Late Pleistocene sites located in Northern and Central Italy. Here we describe unpublished dentognathic remains of Macaca sylvanus from the Middle Pleistocene site of Quecchia Quarry (Botticino, Brescia, North Italy)

The Quaternary paleontological research in the Campagna Romana (central Italy) at the 19th- 20th century transition. Historical overview

The Rome Basin, including the historical region of Campagna Romana, is considered as one of the most important sedimentary basin of Peninsular Italy for a paleontological viewpoint. A very high number of fossiliferous findings were collected from deposit which have a strong relationship with the evolution of the Tiber River fluvio-deltaic evolution (the “Paleo-Tiber” system). This evolution is the result of complex geological processes including tectonic, volcanism and glacio-eustatic fluctuations. A myriad of fossils were recovered during the end of 1800 and the beginning of 1900, mainly thank to the intense urbanization which affected the city of Rome. The majority of these historical fossil collection are today stored at “Museo Universitario di Scienze della Terra”, Sapienza, University of Rome (MUST), whereas sporadic specimens are kept in the scientific cabinets of several high school of the city or Latium villages. Several personalities of that time played a key role in the study of Quaternary fossiliferous deposits describing stratigraphical succession and fossil remains. The knowledge of these researchers and their histories have a crucial importance to reconstruct the storytelling of the historical fossil collection and to get more information on fossiliferous deposit today destroyed by urbanization or buried below anthropogenic deposits

Large Mammals from the Middle Pleistocene (MIS 11) site of Fontignano 2 (Rome, central Italy), with an overview of "San Cosimato" assemblages

Here we describe fossil mammal remains recovered from the late Middle Pleistocene (MIS 11) of Fontignano 2 (Rome, central Italy). Two species are recognized: the aurochs Bos primigenius and the red deer Cervus elaphus. The presence of B. primigenius represents one of the earliest diagnostic evidence of the species. Conversely, remains of C. elaphus are not fully diagnostic at a subspecies level, despite being long considered among the reference occurrences of C. e. eostephanoceros in Italy. This reconsideration, concurrent with the revised chronology of several localities of the area of Rome, questions the validity of the chronosubspecific and evolutionary repartition of the red deer as often envisioned in the literature, i.e., C. e. acoronatus, C. e. eostephanoceros, C. e. rianensis, C. e. elaphus. Remains of Fontignano 2 are part of those recovered within the San Cosimato Formation, also including Via di Brava (MIS 13 or MIS 11), with Palaeoloxodon antiquus, and San Cosimato (MIS 11), with Stephanorhinus sp., B. primigenius, Castor fiber, and Emys orbicularis

GEOLOGICAL EVOLUTION AND BIOCHRONOLOGICAL EVIDENCES OF THE MONTE RICCIO SECTION (TARQUINIA, CENTRAL ITALY)

The geological evolution of the area of M.te Riccio for the Plio-Pleistocene time span has been pointed out. The M.te Riccio area was probably an high during Gelasian-Santernian times. The stratigraphical sequence shows the passage from a coastal marine environment during Pliocene, to a coastal environment during Early Pleistocene (testified by evidences of shorelines) to continental conditions during the upper part of Pleistocene. The analysis of the mammal bones coming from a level overlying a marine formation ("Macco" auct.) allow us to ascribe the faunal association to the late Villafranchian (Tasso F.U.) referable to the beginning of the Pleistocene. It is the first signalation of an Early Pleistocene mammal fauna in the Northern Latium.&nbsp

Suidae Transition at the Miocene-Pliocene Boundary : a Reassessment of the Taxonomy and Chronology of Propotamochoerus provincialis

The Miocene-Pliocene (Turolian-Ruscinian) transition represents a fundamental interval in the evolution of Euro-Mediterranean paleocommunities. In fact, the paleoenvironmental changes connected with the end of the Messinian salinity crisis are reflected by a major renewal in mammal faunal assemblages. An important bioevent among terrestrial large mammals is the dispersal of the genus Sus, which replaced all other suid species during the Pliocene. Despite its possible paleoecological and biochronological relevance, correlations based on this bioevent are undermined by the supposed persistence of the late surviving late Miocene Propotamochoerus provincialis. However, a recent revision of the type material of this species revealed an admixture with remains of Sus strozzii, an early Pleistocene (Middle Villafranchian to Epivillafranchian) suid, questioning both the diagnosis and chronological range of P. provincialis. Here we review the late Miocene Suidae sample recovered from the Casino Basin (Tuscany, central Italy), whose taxonomic attribution has been controversial over the nearly 150 years since its discovery. Following a comparison with other Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene Eurasian species, the Casino Suidae are assigned to P. provincialis and the species diagnosis is emended. Moreover, it is recognized that all the late Miocene (Turolian) European Propotamochoerus material belongs to P. provincialis and that there is no compelling evidence of the occurrence of this species beyond the Turolian-Ruscinian transition (MN13-MN14)

GEOLOGICAL EVOLUTION AND BIOCHRONOLOGICAL EVIDENCES OF THE MONTE RICCIO SECTION (TARQUINIA, CENTRAL ITALY)

The geological evolution of the area of M.te Riccio for the Plio-Pleistocene time span has been pointed out. The M.te Riccio area was probably an high during Gelasian-Santernian times. The stratigraphical sequence shows the passage from a coastal marine environment during Pliocene, to a coastal environment during Early Pleistocene (testified by evidences of shorelines) to continental conditions during the upper part of Pleistocene. The analysis of the mammal bones coming from a level overlying a marine formation ("Macco" auct.) allow us to ascribe the faunal association to the late Villafranchian (Tasso F.U.) referable to the beginning of the Pleistocene. It is the first signalation of an Early Pleistocene mammal fauna in the Northern Latium.&nbsp

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