Similarities between large mammal faunas of the Italian Peninsula and France from the Pliocene to the Middle Pleistocene

Palombo, María Rita; Valli, Andrea M. F.

doi:10.1127/njgpa/233/2004/69

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…Disparities between the Spanish, French and Italian fossil records add to the well-known difficulties in establishing correlations between local biochronological units. For this reason, the Plio-Pleistocene biochronology of the North-Western Mediterranean region was reassessed, taking into account similarities among LFAs Azanza et al 2004;Palombo and Valli 2004b) and temporal ordinations of LFAs Palombo 2005;Domingo et al 2007) based on multivariate procedures. Twelve biochronological units were considered whose duration was estimated from the available numerical dating of localities (Palombo 2007a) (Fig.…”

Section: Time Intervalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

How did environmental disturbances affect carnivoran diversity? A case study of the Plio–Pleistocene Carnivora of the North-Western Mediterranean

et al. 2008

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The Plio-Pleistocene carnivores from the North-Western Mediterranean (Iberian and Italian peninsulas, and France) are analysed in order to investigate whether their diversity over the last 5.3 Ma was influenced by disturbances of the physical environment. Trends in species diversity over time were analysed in successive unequal time intervals, which were reassessed on the basis of local biochronological schemes. By using a taxon-free characterisation, species were assigned to various ecological categories in accordance with feeding and hunting behaviour, preferred habitat, and average body mass. Principal Component Analysis identified the most important ecological variables in recognising changes among the carnivoran Faunal Complexes that characterised each time interval. The results obtained support the hypothesis that some complex, though not always direct relationships exist between environmental changes and shifts in the diversity of Carnivora (especially for forest dwelling carnivorans). However, progressive changes in Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (carnivoran guilds cannot be interpreted as merely a response to climate changes, because intrinsic biotic control (changes in inter-specific and intra-specific competition) also plays an important role in modifying carnivoran diversity. Therefore, climate change seems to trigger the various factors that contribute to the reconstruction of carnivoran palaeocommunities.

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Section: Time Intervalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

How did environmental disturbances affect carnivoran diversity? A case study of the Plio–Pleistocene Carnivora of the North-Western Mediterranean

et al. 2008

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…The latter point calls for a succinct comment on the 40 Ar/ 39 Ar age of 2.78 ± 0.01 Ma reported by Nomade et al [40] for Perrier-Les Etouaires, which includes both early Villafranchian and middle Villafranchian species (e.g., [166]). Indeed, while Nomade et al [40] provided this age for pumices of la Côte d'Ardé, which they considered stratigraphically close to the Perrier-Les Etouaires "classical site", they also recognized, as did many previous studies (e.g., [166,167]), that the fauna originated from several layers of different ages. Basically, we argue that the Perrier-Les Etouaires fauna cannot be altogether dated at 2.78 ± 0.01 Ma and careful historiographic and curatorial studies should be carried out to clarify (or infer) the stratigraphic position of each taxon with respect to the level dated at 2.78 ± 0.01 Ma.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

What Does the “Elephant-Equus” Event Mean Today? Reflections on Mammal Dispersal Events around the Pliocene-Pleistocene Boundary and the Flexible Ambiguity of Biochronology

Iannucci

Sardella

2023

Quaternary

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The dispersal of primitive elephantines and monodactyl equids in Eurasia has long been regarded as representative of a substantial turnover in mammal faunas, denoting the spread of open environments linked to the onset of cold and dry conditions in the Northern Hemisphere. During the 1980s, this event was named the “Elephant-Equus event” and it was correlated with the Gauss-Matuyama reversal, today corresponding to the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition and the beginning of the Quaternary, dated at ~2.6 Ma. Therefore, the Elephant-Equus event became a concept of prominent biochronological and paleoecological significance, especially in western Europe. Yet, uncertainties surrounding the taxonomy and chronology of early “elephant” and “Equus”, as well as conceptual differences in adopting (or understanding) the Elephant-Equus event as an intercontinental dispersal event or as a stratigraphic datum, engendered ambiguity and debate. Here, we provide a succinct review of the Elephant-Equus event, considering separately the available evidence on the “elephant” and the “Equus”. Elephantines dispersed out of Africa during the Pliocene (Piacenzian). Their earliest calibrated occurrences from eastern Europe date at ~3.2 Ma and they are usually referred to Mammuthus rumanus, although the allocation of several samples to this species is tentative. Available dating constraints for other localities do not resolve whether the dispersal of Mammuthus was synchronous across Eurasia, but this possibility cannot be ruled out. The spread of Mammuthus was part of an intercontinental faunal exchange between Africa and Eurasia that occurred during the Piacenzian, but in this scenario, Mammuthus is quite unique in being the only genus of African origin dispersing to western Eurasia. The arrival of monodactyl equids from North America coincides with the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition, with several occurrences dated or calibrated at ~2.6 Ma and no compelling evidence prior to this age. In Europe, early monodactyl equids are often aligned to Equus livenzovensis, but the material from the type locality of this species is chronologically time-averaged and taxonomically heterogeneous, and western European samples are seldom abundant or informative. Regardless, this does not diminish the biochronological significance of the “Equus event”. Indeed, while the term “Elephant-Equus event” should no longer be used, as the appearance of elephantines in the European fossil record markedly precedes that of monodactyl equids, we endorse the use of the “Equus event” as a valid alternative to refer to the intercontinental dispersal event that characterizes the middle Villafranchian faunal turnover, epitomized by but not limited to monodactyl equids.

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“…The Venta Micena fauna has been dated at 1.3 ± 0.1 Ma [82] and thus the APL fauna must have at least a similar or a younger age, in other words an Epivillafranchian age. This age is supported by the presence of V. praeglacialis, which is reported from the Epivillafranchian of France [97], Spain (Venta Micena) [98]) and Austria (Deutsch-Altenburg 2 [75]). The morphological characteristics of the hypercarnivore L. lycaonoides suggest similarities to the Epivillafranchian forms of the taxon; additionally, L. lycaonoides is considered as a chronospecies characterizing the Epivillafranchian and early Middle Pleistocene [26].…”

Section: Biochronologymentioning

confidence: 85%

New Material and Revision of the Carnivora, Mammalia from the Lower Pleistocene Locality Apollonia 1, Greece

Koufos

2018

Quaternary

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During the last field campaigns in the mammal fossiliferous site Apollonia 1 (Macedonia, Greece), new carnivoran material has been discovered. The new collection added two new carnivoran taxa, Homotherium latidens and Panthera gombaszögensis. The new canid material and the revision of the old one (a) suggest the presence of two Canis species, C. etruscus and C. apolloniensis; (b) confirm the presence of the hypercarnivore Lycaon lycaonoides, and (c) allow for re-classifying the vulpine material to Vulpes praeglacialis. The taxonomic status of the species C. apolloniensis and Meles dimitrius is discussed. The composition and diversity of the Apollonia carnivoran assemblage are estimated and compared to those of various Greek and European Villafranchian ones. The results suggest close similarity to the Venta Micena (Spain) and Dmanisi (Georgia) carnivoran assemblages. The biochronological evidence indicates that Apollonia 1 is younger than Venta Micena and older than Untermassfeld (Germany), suggesting an age of 1.3-1.0 Ma. The study of the carnivoran guild structure of Apollonia 1 in comparison to the modern ones from known environments, as well as their functional morphology, suggest an open habitat, agreeing with previous interpretations.

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Similarities between large mammal faunas of the Italian Peninsula and France from the Pliocene to the Middle Pleistocene

Cited by 12 publications

References 0 publications

How did environmental disturbances affect carnivoran diversity? A case study of the Plio–Pleistocene Carnivora of the North-Western Mediterranean

How did environmental disturbances affect carnivoran diversity? A case study of the Plio–Pleistocene Carnivora of the North-Western Mediterranean

What Does the “Elephant-Equus” Event Mean Today? Reflections on Mammal Dispersal Events around the Pliocene-Pleistocene Boundary and the Flexible Ambiguity of Biochronology

New Material and Revision of the Carnivora, Mammalia from the Lower Pleistocene Locality Apollonia 1, Greece

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