Biochronology and palaeoenvironmental changes from the Middle Pliocene to the Late Pleistocene in Central Italy

Abstract

Paleoenvironmental variations that occurred in Italy from the Middle Pliocene to the Late Pleistocene are described. Th e number of large mammal species seems increased moderately, especially from the Galerian to the Late Aurelian biochronological units. On the contrary, the paleobotanical data show a decrease of the forest cover from the Middle Pliocene to the late Early Pleistocene and an increase of lands occupied by prairies and steppes. Th is change is also supported by the appearance of hypsodont taxa among mammals. Th e distribution of mammal faunas between the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian sides of Central Italy, during the Middle and Late Pleistocene, seems not to be infl uenced by climatic and environment diff erences. When the Adriatic data are more complete, it is possible, in fact, to observe a trend that is fairly close to that of the Tyrrhenian. Th e majority of megaherbivorous taxa has an Asian origin, and it can be hypothesized that in the interglacial phases, the Tosco-Emilian Apennines allowed the taxa coming from the northeast to enter and spread out into the more diversifi ed Tyrrhenian side, whereas during the glacial periods the

New insights into the onset and evolution of the central Apennine extensional intermontane basins based on the tectonically active L’Aquila Basin (central Italy)

“…1.6-1.4 Ma) and Pirro Nord FU (ca. 1.4-1.2 Ma), respectively (Petronio and Pandolfi, 2011). This species is also present in sites of more recent age in Germany and France(?)…”

Pleistocene Canidae (Mammalia, Carnivora) from the Paleolithic Kudaro caves in the Caucasus

“…Other researchers give this wolf the status of a separate species C. lunellensis, associating the earliest record of C. lupus with the local fauna of the upper complexes of grotte Caune de LArago in France, which correlates with OIS 9, near 0.300.35 Ma (Palombo & Valli, 2004), or in Pietra F.U. (about MIS 10-8) in Italy (Petronio et al, 2011). The earliest North American records of C. lupus are the arctic fossils from Yukon Territory (Old Crow) in Canada and from Alaska (Cripple Creek Sump), which date to the middle Pleistocene (Tedford et al, 2009).…”

“…alpinus is regarded as the descendant of C. priscus from the Middle Pleistocene of Europe (Fontana Ranuccio F.U. in Italy, near 0.5 Ma; Brugal & BoudadiMaligne, 2011;Petronio et al, 2011), which inhabited Eurasia and, via Beringia, came to North America, reaching the northeastern part of Mexico (San Josecito Cave) (Tedford et al, 2009).…”

The skull of Stephanorhinus hemitoechus, paleobiogeography, biochronology, Middle Pleistocene, Campagna Romana, Sabatini Volcanic District

“…In particular, the species disappears before the last glacial maximum in central Europe, is documented up to MIS3 (Ingarano site, Petronio et al 2011) in Italy and is recorded until the end of the Late Pleistocene in Spain (site of La Ventana; Sánchez et al 2003). Nevertheless, in spite of the relatively well-constrained temporal and regional distribution, the origin of S. hemitoechus remains unclear because neither the European (from S. hundsheimensis) nor Asian origins can be excluded.…”

“…The so-called "Campagna Romana" is a relatively large, flat zone around Rome (central Italy) crossed by the Tiber River and bounded at the southwest by the Tyrrhenian Sea, at the east by the Pre-Apennine, at the north by the Sabatini Volcanic District (SVD) and at south-southeast by the Colli Albani Volcanic District (Di Stefano et al 1998;Petronio & Sardella 1999;Petronio et al 2011;Sottili et al 2010Sottili et al , 2011, and references therein). The rocks outcropping in the Campagna Romana are represented by PlioPleistocene sedimentary sequences partly covered by the volcanic products of the above-mentioned volcanic districts.…”