0000000000424724
AUTHOR
Marco Rustioni
Cesi, an early Middle Pleistocene site in the Colfiorito Basin (Umbro-Marchean Apennine), central Italy
Near the village of Cesi, at the head of the Chienti River, in the Colfiorito Basin (Umbro-Marchean Apennines, central Italy), fluvio-lacustrine deposits have yielded mammal fossil remains. The results of a multidisciplinary investigation indicate that the vertebrate-bearing sediments date about 700 ka and accordingly provide a fossil assemblage for the Middle–Late Galerian. Palynological investigations carried out from sediments underlying the fossiliferous level suggest predominantly cold and dry conditions, whereas the fauna suggests a slight climatic amelioration towards cool and moist conditions in the uppermost part of the sequence. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Analysis of Multifactorial Land Mammal Colonization of Islands
A highly debated question that engages paleontologists, zoogeographers, and zoologists is how terrestrial mammals colonize islands. The question’s oversimplification and the subjective and partial responses to it have led to reductionist models. Insular faunas and fossil assemblages result from a complex interaction of geological, biological (in a broad sense), climatic, eustatic, taphonomic, and historical processes. Insular assemblages and their accompanying variables should be investigated on a case-by-case basis. In this article, we discuss not only common misconceptions and their potential origins but also the key issues that should be addressed when dealing with the colonization of is…
Observations on the postcranial anatomy of Hoplitomeryx (Mammalia, Ruminantia, Hoplitomerycidae) from the Miocene of the Apulia Platform (Italy)
The untypical ruminants of the Apulia Platform (central and southeastern Italy), originally accommodated in the genus Hoplitomeryx, have been recently revised. The Scontrone (Abruzzo, central Italy) representatives were included in a new genus, Scontromeryx, with the addition of a new species, Scontromeryx mazzai. In contrast, the Gargano ones were left in Hoplitomeryx, but also in this case with the addition of three new species, Hoplitomeryx devosi, H. macpheei, and H. kriegsmani, described on postcranial remains and based on body mass calculations and using a size class scoring technique. The results of the present study show that Scontromeryx is invalid, that S. mazzai is imperfectly de…