Structural changes in Italian Late Pliocene - Pleistocene large Mammal assemblages

A schematic range-chart of the late Pliocene - Pleistocene large mammal genera is presented. The main faunal events recognizable within this time span are discussed. The first faunal event occurs around the Gauss/Matuyama transition with the beginning of the middle Villafranchian characterized by the arrival of Mammuthus (Archidiskodon) and Equus (the so-called "elephant-Equus event"). The following faunal event occurs at the Plio-Pleistocene transition (the so-called "wolf event"). The latter is marked by a strong contraction in the diversity of the ruminants and by a renewal in the carnivore diversity with the arrival of social carnivores. The low diversity in ruminant assemblage persist …

A latest Biharian small vertebrate fauna from the lacustrine succession of San Lorenzo (Sant’Arcangelo Basin, Basilicata, Italy)

Abstract The Sant’Arcangelo Basin is located in the southern part of the Apennine chain (Basilicata). It is filled by a siliciclastic sequence 3500 m thick, dated to the Late Pliocene–Middle Pleistocene time interval. In this basin an Early Middle Pleistocene fluvio-lacustrine sequence, known as San Lorenzo Cycle, has been recognised. In the upper part of the sequence, in Rifreddo, a fairly diversified small vertebrate assemblage has been recovered. The occurrence of Mimomys savini allows to the fauna to be considered as Biharian. The presence of some faunal elements such as Microtus ( Terricola ) arvalidens, Microtus ( Iberomys ) ex gr . huescarensis-brecciensis, and Macroneomys cf. brachy…

Does the diagnosis center influence the prognosis of ovarian cancer patients submitted to neoadjuvant chemotherapy?

To compare prognosis of advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (AEOC) patients based on where the first surgical assessment was performed.Retrospective analysis of primary AEOC patients was performed and three groups were formed based on where the decision of primary treatment was taken: Internal, if the decision was carried out at our Institution (PDS (Primary Debulking Surgery), I-IDS (Internal-Interval Debulking Surgery)) and Referred in case women were referred after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) from other Centers (R-IDS (Referred-Interval Debulking Surgery)).Among 573 AEOC, 279 (48.7%) were PDS and 294 (51.3%) IDS. In particular, 134 of 294 (45.6%) were R-IDS and 160 (54.4%) were I-IDS.…

A late Biharian small vertebrate fauna from the lacustrine succession of San Lorenzo (Santarcangelo Basin, Basilicata, Italy)

Robotic versus laparoscopic surgery in gynecology: Which should we use?

This review of the literature aims at assessing the safety and effectiveness of robotic versus laparoscopic surgery in benign and malignant gynecological diseases. Robotic-assisted laparoscopy is already widely used in the United States and Europe for the main gynecological procedure - hysterectomy - and has proved feasible and comfortable for other benign and malignant gynecological procedures. However, the clinical effectiveness and safety of robotic surgery compared with standard laparoscopy have not been undoubtedly established. We reviewed the literature by searching in the Ovid/MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases for all the articles published from January …

The Small Sized Galericini from F32 “Terre Rosse” fissure filling (Gargano, Southeastern Italy) and its biochronological implications.

Deinogalerix is by far the better known Galericinae (Galericini according toVan den Hoek Ostende, 2001) from the Gargano fissure filling thanks to very careful description of Butler 1980. However, another moon rat, very small sized, belonging to the Galericini tribe, is virtually present in all the assemblages from the “terre rosse” fissure filling of the Gargano. It was first mentioned in the pioneering report of Freudenthal (1971) and by Butler (1980) in his study of the “gigantic” Deinogaleri and it has been quoted in several faunal lists. It has been ascribed to Parasorex by Van den Hoek Ostende (2001), and to Galerix (Apulogalerix) by Fanfani (1999). Van den Hoek Ostende (2001) conside…

New Light on Parasorex Depereti (Erinaceomorpha: Erinaceidae: Galericini) from the Late Messinian (MN 13) of the Monticino Quarry (Brisighella, Faenza, Italy)

Abstract A large-sized species of Parasorex is common in the MN 13 mammal assemblages from the uppermost Messinian sandy-marly fissure fillings within the Gessoso Solfifera Formation at Brisighella (Northern Apennine). This erinaceid has been classified as Galerix sp. in the first papers on the Brisighella fauna. Later, it was described in detail in an unpublished Ph.D. dissertation by Fanfani (1999), who referred it to Galerix depereti. Van den Hoek Ostende (2001) included G. depereti in the genus Parasorex, Parasorex depereti has been described by Crochet (1986) on scarce material from a few Early Pliocene (MN 14–15) localities of southern France and Spain. Parasorex cf. depereti has been…

New human remains of Archaic Homo sapiens and Lower Palaeolithic industries from Visogliano (Duino Aurisina, Trieste, Italy).

New human remains have been found during recent excavations conducted in the lower section of Visogliano dolina (Trieste, Italy). They are represented by teeth and a fragment of particularly robust mandible that for their morphological and morphometrical characters can be generically attributed to archaic Homo sapiens. The lithic industry is formed by flakes, carinated points, scrapers, choppers and chopping tools and is characteristic of the Italian Pebble Culture. Sediments, pollen and faunal remains indicate that this part of the deposit was formed during interglacial climatic conditions in the early, but not initial phase of Middle Pleistocene (isotopic stadium 13 or 11).

Apulogalerix pusillus nov. gen., nov. sp., the small-sized Galericinae (Erinaceidae, Mammalia) from the ‘‘Terre Rosse’’ fissure filling of the Gargano (Foggia, South-Eastern Italy)

Abstract A small moonrat belonging to the Galericini tribe occurs in all the assemblages from the Terre Rosse fissure fillings of the Gargano. It was first mentioned in the pioneering report of Freudenthal and by Butler in his study of the “gigantic” Deinogalerix, and has been quoted with different names several times in faunal lists of the Terre Rosse endemic faunas. Up to date, however, the description of this gymnure has never been achieved. We present here the taxonomical and morphological description of a sample from Fissure Filling F32 that is considered to document the youngest phase of population of the Gargano Paleoarchipelago. The comparisons with genera Galerix, Parasorex and Sch…