Fossil lynxes are quite common in the Plio-Pleistocene mammal assemblages of Europe. Despite of t... more Fossil lynxes are quite common in the Plio-Pleistocene mammal assemblages of Europe. Despite of this abundant record, the phylogeny of the genus Lynx and the relationships among the different recorded species are far from being resolved. The most controversial species of this group is Lynx pardinus spelaeus or Lynx spelaeus according to different scholars, recorded in the Middle and Late Pleistocene of France and Italy. Here, we describe unpublished remains of fossil lynxes from different layers of the Valdemino cave (Middle to Late Pleistocene, Savona, Italy). The reported evidence suggests that the lynx from Valdemino represents probably the most ancient well-documented material of L. spelaeus in Europe further reinforcing the idea of progressive size reduction and acquisition of more trenchant dentition in the European lineages of lynx (L. pardinus and L. spelaeus) during the Middle to Late Pleistocene.
The sedimentary context of ex Cava a Filo originated in a karsic system with relic fluvio-karsic ... more The sedimentary context of ex Cava a Filo originated in a karsic system with relic fluvio-karsic galleries. Such network of tunnels were excavated during an advanced moment of the Late Pleistocene. ex Cava a Filo testifies the presence of typical species closely related to cold climate and open environments with diffuse forested areas. Macromammals are represented by large artiodactyls, such as Bison priscus, Megaloceros giganteus and Capreolus capreolus, with the predominance of the largest species. Canis lupus is the only carnivorous determined in the site, and lagomorphs are represented by Lepus timidus. Fossils were recoveded as single bones, with the exception of mountain hare, represented by a complete skeleton. The small mammal assemblage of ex Cava a Filo is represented by 166 remains corresponding to 132 individuals. It is dominated by Microtus arvalis, a species widespread and often dominant in the Italian Peninsula around the Last Glacial Maximum. The environment surrounding the site was mainly characterized by open and dry meadows, while few low forested areas are testified by the presence of rare Clethrionomys glareolus, Apodemus cf. sylvaticus and Erinaceus europaeus. Chinomys nivalis and Marmota marmota, although rare, indicate cold climate conditions. The taphonomy analysis shows different accumulation causes: the site was likely a trap for most of the small mammals and few of them was probably hunted by diurnal bird of prey or small carnivores. Avifauna is represented by Lyrurus tetrix, Lagopus mutus, Perdix perdix, Nucifraga caryocatactes, Pyrrhocorax graculus, and Falco tinnunculus. Such interesting association is quite rich in terms of species, and confirms the environmental context of deposition at ex Cava a Filo. An interesting tibia of bison shows anthropic signs on the bone surface, left by a lithic tool during the animal slaughtering.
Hundreds of fossils were discovered at ex Cava a Filo (Bologna, Italy), dating back to the Last G... more Hundreds of fossils were discovered at ex Cava a Filo (Bologna, Italy), dating back to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and to the initial stage of the Oldest Dryas, at the beginning of the Tardiglacial period. Such faunal assemblage testifies to cold climatic conditions during the Late Pleistocene on the Gessi Bolognesi hills near Bologna. Stratigraphical features of the excavated cave deposits, together with 14C dating, allow us to distinguish three main faunal associations (Cava Filo-1, Cava Filo-2 and Cava Filo-3) covering a time interval ranging from about 24500 to 17500 cal BP. These faunal associations, separated by temporal gaps, correspond to various climatic cold conditions, prevalently dominated by a steppe environment. At the end of the Last Glacial Maximum (about 19000 years ago) occurred an abrupt climate amelioration (Late Pleniglacial Optimum) evidenced by a considerable re-forestation and by the spread of different habitats, including pinewood areas (Pinus mugo and Pinus sylvestris). Among the identified large mammals discovered during last palaeontological excavations (2006-2011), the best represented specie is Bison priscus, followed by Canis lupus, Capreolus capreolus, Lepus timidus, Megaloceros giganteus, and Marmota marmota. Here, we provide the anatomical description of the specimens and photos of the most representative for each species.
Abisso Col de la Rizza was descovered in 1957. Further explorations allowed mapping the current d... more Abisso Col de la Rizza was descovered in 1957. Further explorations allowed mapping the current development of the cave. For a total length of about 4 km and a maximum depth of 800 m with reference to the entrance altitude. Today explorations are not concluded yet. A partially concretioned vertebra was found about 200 m deep in a terrance; the morphological analysis revealed that it is a cervical vertebra of a bear. Unfortunately, such anatomical element alone cannot be specifically identified and does not give indirect information about the time of death and deposition. The find represents the first fossil ever found in Abisso Col de la Rizza, that indicates the passive transport in the cave and paves the way for future discoveries on Altopiano del Cansiglio.
Although discovering Macromammal fossil remains in Italian caves is quite common, in Romagna Regi... more Although discovering Macromammal fossil remains in Italian caves is quite common, in Romagna Region it is usually very rare. We report and describe here for the first time some unpublished fossil mammals recovered in the Gypsum caves of Eastern Vena del Gesso romagnola (near Brisighella, Ravenna, Northern Italy; Gessoso-solfifera Fm.), particularly in the caves of Cavinale Creek Karst Spring, Rosa Saviotti and Giovanni Leoncavallo. Most of the specimens represent carnivorans: Ursus spelaeus is the most frequent species, while few fossils of Canidae and Felidae families have been found (a single mandible of wolf, and two teeth of lynx and leopard, respectively). Among herbivores, only fragmented remains of Bos, Bison, a large deer and the steppe rhino have been recognised. Considered together, these species and the geological history of the Gypsum formation chronologically locate the collections in the Late Pleistocene. Furthermore, the cave of Cavinale Creek Karst Spring represents ...
The recovery and restoration of a quite complete fossil skeleton of a young lynx is here presente... more The recovery and restoration of a quite complete fossil skeleton of a young lynx is here presented. The lynx was found in the Savona province (NW Italy) by illegal excavators and had been confiscated after the advertisement in a Holland selling-website. The partially preserved skeleton has been cleaned removing the superficial strata of patina and plaster. Paraloid B72 and Mowital B60HH have been used as primer and glue, and Balsite for integrations. The latter is usually used for wooden restorations and has been considered here for its functional characteristics that make it suitable as a new application in palaeontology. The fossil is a young cub of lynx, aged less than five months at the death, here determined as Lynx sp. because at that age it did not still developed the distinctive specific characters of a particular species.
This paper presents a morphological description and contextualization of dhole remains from the L... more This paper presents a morphological description and contextualization of dhole remains from the Late Pleistocene site (MIS 3) of Equi (Fivizzano, Massa-Carrara, Italy). The site was excavated in the first decades of the twentieth century, and the palaeontological remains are housed in the Paleontological Museum of the University of Florence. In Europe, the occurrence of dhole remains is spread over the continent and ranges chronologically from the early Middle Pleistocene to the Holocene. The current knowledge allows definition of the northern limit range of this carnivore, which never crossed the 51st parallel. The ethology of extant populations allows us to make inferences about its behaviour, with special regard to the occurrence of other large carnivores at the same site, such as Panthera spelaea and Panthera pardus, based on mutual segregation related to the environment and prey availability.
Fossil lynxes are quite common in the Plio-Pleistocene mammal assemblages of Europe. Despite of t... more Fossil lynxes are quite common in the Plio-Pleistocene mammal assemblages of Europe. Despite of this abundant record, the phylogeny of the genus Lynx and the relationships among the different recorded species are far from being resolved. The most controversial species of this group is Lynx pardinus spelaeus or Lynx spelaeus according to different scholars, recorded in the Middle and Late Pleistocene of France and Italy. Here, we describe unpublished remains of fossil lynxes from different layers of the Valdemino cave (Middle to Late Pleistocene, Savona, Italy). The reported evidence suggests that the lynx from Valdemino represents probably the most ancient well-documented material of L. spelaeus in Europe further reinforcing the idea of progressive size reduction and acquisition of more trenchant dentition in the European lineages of lynx (L. pardinus and L. spelaeus) during the Middle to Late Pleistocene.
The rich fauna from Grotta del Ceré (Verona, Northeastern Italy), previously dated to various Ple... more The rich fauna from Grotta del Ceré (Verona, Northeastern Italy), previously dated to various Pleistocene moments and kept in the Museo civico di Storia Naturale of Verona, is reviewed. Here, results of Ursidae and Marmot studies are presented. Ursidae remains have been compared to Ursus deningeri from Isernia la Pineta (Isernia)and Visogliano (Trieste)sites, U.spelaeus from Broion Cave (Vicenza), U.arctos from the collections of Ferrara University and with bibliography, looking at the biometric and morphologic point of view. The remains of Grotta del Ceré belong to Ursus deningeri range of variability. More than 800 remains of marmot, well conserved, have been compared to the remains ones from Eppelsheim (Germany) and from various French and Rumanian sites from bibliography. The analysis allows to ascribe Ceré remains to the first West European form, Marmota marmota mesostyla. The presence of Canis mosbachensis, previously studied, Homotherium cf. latidens, Ursus deningeri and Marmota marmota mesostyla allowes to ascribe the fauna from Cerè cave to Galerian Age.
Leopard remains are rare in the European fossil record, probably a consequence of its solitary an... more Leopard remains are rare in the European fossil record, probably a consequence of its solitary and elusive habits. Equi, dating back to Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS3), represents a rich and outstanding exception. Historical excavations (from 1911 to about 1917) at Equi allowed more than 200 remains to be recovered of this large felid, a sample attesting the richest leopard-bearing site in the Pleistocene of Europe. The Equi site testifies the survival of a prosperous leopard population in northwestern Italy (the Apuan Alps area) during the pre Last Glacial Maximum Late Pleistocene. Almost all skeletal elements are represented in the collection (except ribs, and most of axial skeleton). At Equi, leopard is represented by both young and adult animals and, up to now, it seems the first and unique Pleistocene evidence of cave usage for cubs raised in Europe. This study focuses on the whole record of leopard from Equi, housed in the Museum of Natural History of Florence, and is aimed to analyze the taphonomical assemblage, to provide an anatomical description of the remains and the comparison to the European evidences. Moreover, we infer the paleoecology of leopards, and their relationships with other large carnivores from the Equi guild (Ursus spelaeus, Canis lupus, and Panthera leo spelaea). The site was probably an occasional large carnivores den, used over time by different large carnivore taxa, perhaps in different seasons or times (mutual avoiding). Our morphological analysis allows us to recognize sexual dimorphic characters in the cranium, and a large morphological variability in body size.
Ceré Cave (Verona, Italy) is a karst fissure infilled with an ossiferous breccia and was first ex... more Ceré Cave (Verona, Italy) is a karst fissure infilled with an ossiferous breccia and was first excavated in the first half of the twentieth century. Revision of the material stored in the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale of Verona was made before the beginning of new excavations. This work presents new analysis of the carnivores. The presence of Homotherium latidens and Canis mosbachensis, and the lack of typical Aurelian species, allow the temporal attribution of the site to the Middle or Late Galerian (Middle Pleistocene).
Paleontological source management represents one of the major challenge for Millennial paleontolo... more Paleontological source management represents one of the major challenge for Millennial paleontologists. Today research and studies require a huge amount of finds and references, and it is of crucial importance to obtain data, in order to create consistent set for statistics, anatomical comparison and paleoenvironment reconstructions. Actually, most of web databases collect data of invertebrate species, and vertebrate tetrapods up to the Neogene. Instead, just few of them record data about Pleistocene mammal fauna, being PBDB and NOW the best known ones, respectively developed by teams of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of the University of Helsinki. Even less databases represent data within a contextualized land map, and often coordinates of sites and fossils are not available for the download. With this contribution, a new web database is presented, specifically developed for Late Pleistocene mammals. Such range of time includes a changing world, where wild fauna progressively left the scene in favor of modern species and humans. www.paleogeographic.com represents the last 125.000 years and more through geomaps, completely developed with Open Source software and tools. All data are available with references, details about fossils and measurements, and paleontologists can have access, and are encouraged to contribute to the database enrichment.
La Grotta del Cerè (catasto n. 258 V VR) si trova nel comune di Ceredo (Sant'Anna d'Alfaedo, VR) ... more La Grotta del Cerè (catasto n. 258 V VR) si trova nel comune di Ceredo (Sant'Anna d'Alfaedo, VR) a circa 750 m slm. Conosciuta fin dal 1735, la grotta consiste in una singola sala di 6,5x5 m. Pasa (1954), che studiò il sito, riteneva che la breccia ossifera si fosse formata in un contesto di inghiottitoio e che l'attuale apertura si fosse originata durante un secondo ciclo carsico.
Nella prospettiva di riaprire lo scavo, si è deciso di affrontare una revisione sistematica delle faune conservate presso il Museo di Storia Naturale di Verona. Lo studio dei reperti ha portato ad identificare alcuni taxa mai segnalati in precedenza nel sito (per esempio l'Homotherium) oppure a cambiare l'attribuzione tassonomica di quelli precedentemente descritti. Si riportano qui i dati preliminari riguardanti i carnivori: Canidi, Felidi e Mustelidi.
La specie più abbondante nel sito è il Canis mosbachensis Soergel, 1925, rappresentato da circa 4500 resti. L'abbondanza di resti del genere Canis permette di considerare la Grotta del Cerè uno dei siti più importanti per lo studio dell'evoluzione del genere, permettendo di affrontare un vero e proprio studio di popolazione.
Gli altri Carnivori sono rappresentati da elementi sporadici. Tra i Felidi spicca sicuramente Homotherium latidens (Owen, 1846), rappresentato unicamente da un P4 superiore sinistro, che non era stato segnalato precedentemente nel sito. Altri Felidi presenti sono: Panthera leo (L., 1758), Panthera cf. pardus (L., 1758), Felis silvestris Schreber, 1775 e Lynx cf. spelaeus Boule, 1906.
I Mustelidae sono rappresentati da Gulo gulo (L., 1758), Mustela cf. putorius L., 1758, Martes sp. L., 1758 e Meles meles (L., 1758).
Le nuove determinazioni, con la presenza di specie come Canis mosbachensis, Ursus deningeri e Homotherium latidens, confermerebbero che la fauna rappresentata è riconducibile all'Età a Mammiferi del Galeriano e non a quella dell'Aureliano come era stato ipotizzato da alcuni Autori.
La maggior parte dei reperti è ben conservata e i carnivori sono la maggioranza delle specie rappresentate. La maggior parte degli individui sono giovani-adulti senza usura marcata dei denti. I Canidi sono oltre il 50% del totale, seguiti dai Rodentia (Marmota marmota primigenia) 12%, Ursidae 6%. Felidae e Mustelidae complessivamente sono circa l'1%. La presenza della marmotta indica che la grotta si trovava al di sopra del limite degli alberi, benchè la presenza della lince, del gatto selvatico, del tasso e del genere Martes sembra indicare la presenza di aree forestali non distanti.
Fossil lynxes are quite common in the Plio-Pleistocene mammal assemblages of Europe. Despite of t... more Fossil lynxes are quite common in the Plio-Pleistocene mammal assemblages of Europe. Despite of this abundant record, the phylogeny of the genus Lynx and the relationships among the different recorded species are far from being resolved. The most controversial species of this group is Lynx pardinus spelaeus or Lynx spelaeus according to different scholars, recorded in the Middle and Late Pleistocene of France and Italy. Here, we describe unpublished remains of fossil lynxes from different layers of the Valdemino cave (Middle to Late Pleistocene, Savona, Italy). The reported evidence suggests that the lynx from Valdemino represents probably the most ancient well-documented material of L. spelaeus in Europe further reinforcing the idea of progressive size reduction and acquisition of more trenchant dentition in the European lineages of lynx (L. pardinus and L. spelaeus) during the Middle to Late Pleistocene.
The sedimentary context of ex Cava a Filo originated in a karsic system with relic fluvio-karsic ... more The sedimentary context of ex Cava a Filo originated in a karsic system with relic fluvio-karsic galleries. Such network of tunnels were excavated during an advanced moment of the Late Pleistocene. ex Cava a Filo testifies the presence of typical species closely related to cold climate and open environments with diffuse forested areas. Macromammals are represented by large artiodactyls, such as Bison priscus, Megaloceros giganteus and Capreolus capreolus, with the predominance of the largest species. Canis lupus is the only carnivorous determined in the site, and lagomorphs are represented by Lepus timidus. Fossils were recoveded as single bones, with the exception of mountain hare, represented by a complete skeleton. The small mammal assemblage of ex Cava a Filo is represented by 166 remains corresponding to 132 individuals. It is dominated by Microtus arvalis, a species widespread and often dominant in the Italian Peninsula around the Last Glacial Maximum. The environment surrounding the site was mainly characterized by open and dry meadows, while few low forested areas are testified by the presence of rare Clethrionomys glareolus, Apodemus cf. sylvaticus and Erinaceus europaeus. Chinomys nivalis and Marmota marmota, although rare, indicate cold climate conditions. The taphonomy analysis shows different accumulation causes: the site was likely a trap for most of the small mammals and few of them was probably hunted by diurnal bird of prey or small carnivores. Avifauna is represented by Lyrurus tetrix, Lagopus mutus, Perdix perdix, Nucifraga caryocatactes, Pyrrhocorax graculus, and Falco tinnunculus. Such interesting association is quite rich in terms of species, and confirms the environmental context of deposition at ex Cava a Filo. An interesting tibia of bison shows anthropic signs on the bone surface, left by a lithic tool during the animal slaughtering.
Hundreds of fossils were discovered at ex Cava a Filo (Bologna, Italy), dating back to the Last G... more Hundreds of fossils were discovered at ex Cava a Filo (Bologna, Italy), dating back to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and to the initial stage of the Oldest Dryas, at the beginning of the Tardiglacial period. Such faunal assemblage testifies to cold climatic conditions during the Late Pleistocene on the Gessi Bolognesi hills near Bologna. Stratigraphical features of the excavated cave deposits, together with 14C dating, allow us to distinguish three main faunal associations (Cava Filo-1, Cava Filo-2 and Cava Filo-3) covering a time interval ranging from about 24500 to 17500 cal BP. These faunal associations, separated by temporal gaps, correspond to various climatic cold conditions, prevalently dominated by a steppe environment. At the end of the Last Glacial Maximum (about 19000 years ago) occurred an abrupt climate amelioration (Late Pleniglacial Optimum) evidenced by a considerable re-forestation and by the spread of different habitats, including pinewood areas (Pinus mugo and Pinus sylvestris). Among the identified large mammals discovered during last palaeontological excavations (2006-2011), the best represented specie is Bison priscus, followed by Canis lupus, Capreolus capreolus, Lepus timidus, Megaloceros giganteus, and Marmota marmota. Here, we provide the anatomical description of the specimens and photos of the most representative for each species.
Abisso Col de la Rizza was descovered in 1957. Further explorations allowed mapping the current d... more Abisso Col de la Rizza was descovered in 1957. Further explorations allowed mapping the current development of the cave. For a total length of about 4 km and a maximum depth of 800 m with reference to the entrance altitude. Today explorations are not concluded yet. A partially concretioned vertebra was found about 200 m deep in a terrance; the morphological analysis revealed that it is a cervical vertebra of a bear. Unfortunately, such anatomical element alone cannot be specifically identified and does not give indirect information about the time of death and deposition. The find represents the first fossil ever found in Abisso Col de la Rizza, that indicates the passive transport in the cave and paves the way for future discoveries on Altopiano del Cansiglio.
Although discovering Macromammal fossil remains in Italian caves is quite common, in Romagna Regi... more Although discovering Macromammal fossil remains in Italian caves is quite common, in Romagna Region it is usually very rare. We report and describe here for the first time some unpublished fossil mammals recovered in the Gypsum caves of Eastern Vena del Gesso romagnola (near Brisighella, Ravenna, Northern Italy; Gessoso-solfifera Fm.), particularly in the caves of Cavinale Creek Karst Spring, Rosa Saviotti and Giovanni Leoncavallo. Most of the specimens represent carnivorans: Ursus spelaeus is the most frequent species, while few fossils of Canidae and Felidae families have been found (a single mandible of wolf, and two teeth of lynx and leopard, respectively). Among herbivores, only fragmented remains of Bos, Bison, a large deer and the steppe rhino have been recognised. Considered together, these species and the geological history of the Gypsum formation chronologically locate the collections in the Late Pleistocene. Furthermore, the cave of Cavinale Creek Karst Spring represents ...
The recovery and restoration of a quite complete fossil skeleton of a young lynx is here presente... more The recovery and restoration of a quite complete fossil skeleton of a young lynx is here presented. The lynx was found in the Savona province (NW Italy) by illegal excavators and had been confiscated after the advertisement in a Holland selling-website. The partially preserved skeleton has been cleaned removing the superficial strata of patina and plaster. Paraloid B72 and Mowital B60HH have been used as primer and glue, and Balsite for integrations. The latter is usually used for wooden restorations and has been considered here for its functional characteristics that make it suitable as a new application in palaeontology. The fossil is a young cub of lynx, aged less than five months at the death, here determined as Lynx sp. because at that age it did not still developed the distinctive specific characters of a particular species.
This paper presents a morphological description and contextualization of dhole remains from the L... more This paper presents a morphological description and contextualization of dhole remains from the Late Pleistocene site (MIS 3) of Equi (Fivizzano, Massa-Carrara, Italy). The site was excavated in the first decades of the twentieth century, and the palaeontological remains are housed in the Paleontological Museum of the University of Florence. In Europe, the occurrence of dhole remains is spread over the continent and ranges chronologically from the early Middle Pleistocene to the Holocene. The current knowledge allows definition of the northern limit range of this carnivore, which never crossed the 51st parallel. The ethology of extant populations allows us to make inferences about its behaviour, with special regard to the occurrence of other large carnivores at the same site, such as Panthera spelaea and Panthera pardus, based on mutual segregation related to the environment and prey availability.
Fossil lynxes are quite common in the Plio-Pleistocene mammal assemblages of Europe. Despite of t... more Fossil lynxes are quite common in the Plio-Pleistocene mammal assemblages of Europe. Despite of this abundant record, the phylogeny of the genus Lynx and the relationships among the different recorded species are far from being resolved. The most controversial species of this group is Lynx pardinus spelaeus or Lynx spelaeus according to different scholars, recorded in the Middle and Late Pleistocene of France and Italy. Here, we describe unpublished remains of fossil lynxes from different layers of the Valdemino cave (Middle to Late Pleistocene, Savona, Italy). The reported evidence suggests that the lynx from Valdemino represents probably the most ancient well-documented material of L. spelaeus in Europe further reinforcing the idea of progressive size reduction and acquisition of more trenchant dentition in the European lineages of lynx (L. pardinus and L. spelaeus) during the Middle to Late Pleistocene.
The rich fauna from Grotta del Ceré (Verona, Northeastern Italy), previously dated to various Ple... more The rich fauna from Grotta del Ceré (Verona, Northeastern Italy), previously dated to various Pleistocene moments and kept in the Museo civico di Storia Naturale of Verona, is reviewed. Here, results of Ursidae and Marmot studies are presented. Ursidae remains have been compared to Ursus deningeri from Isernia la Pineta (Isernia)and Visogliano (Trieste)sites, U.spelaeus from Broion Cave (Vicenza), U.arctos from the collections of Ferrara University and with bibliography, looking at the biometric and morphologic point of view. The remains of Grotta del Ceré belong to Ursus deningeri range of variability. More than 800 remains of marmot, well conserved, have been compared to the remains ones from Eppelsheim (Germany) and from various French and Rumanian sites from bibliography. The analysis allows to ascribe Ceré remains to the first West European form, Marmota marmota mesostyla. The presence of Canis mosbachensis, previously studied, Homotherium cf. latidens, Ursus deningeri and Marmota marmota mesostyla allowes to ascribe the fauna from Cerè cave to Galerian Age.
Leopard remains are rare in the European fossil record, probably a consequence of its solitary an... more Leopard remains are rare in the European fossil record, probably a consequence of its solitary and elusive habits. Equi, dating back to Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS3), represents a rich and outstanding exception. Historical excavations (from 1911 to about 1917) at Equi allowed more than 200 remains to be recovered of this large felid, a sample attesting the richest leopard-bearing site in the Pleistocene of Europe. The Equi site testifies the survival of a prosperous leopard population in northwestern Italy (the Apuan Alps area) during the pre Last Glacial Maximum Late Pleistocene. Almost all skeletal elements are represented in the collection (except ribs, and most of axial skeleton). At Equi, leopard is represented by both young and adult animals and, up to now, it seems the first and unique Pleistocene evidence of cave usage for cubs raised in Europe. This study focuses on the whole record of leopard from Equi, housed in the Museum of Natural History of Florence, and is aimed to analyze the taphonomical assemblage, to provide an anatomical description of the remains and the comparison to the European evidences. Moreover, we infer the paleoecology of leopards, and their relationships with other large carnivores from the Equi guild (Ursus spelaeus, Canis lupus, and Panthera leo spelaea). The site was probably an occasional large carnivores den, used over time by different large carnivore taxa, perhaps in different seasons or times (mutual avoiding). Our morphological analysis allows us to recognize sexual dimorphic characters in the cranium, and a large morphological variability in body size.
Ceré Cave (Verona, Italy) is a karst fissure infilled with an ossiferous breccia and was first ex... more Ceré Cave (Verona, Italy) is a karst fissure infilled with an ossiferous breccia and was first excavated in the first half of the twentieth century. Revision of the material stored in the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale of Verona was made before the beginning of new excavations. This work presents new analysis of the carnivores. The presence of Homotherium latidens and Canis mosbachensis, and the lack of typical Aurelian species, allow the temporal attribution of the site to the Middle or Late Galerian (Middle Pleistocene).
Paleontological source management represents one of the major challenge for Millennial paleontolo... more Paleontological source management represents one of the major challenge for Millennial paleontologists. Today research and studies require a huge amount of finds and references, and it is of crucial importance to obtain data, in order to create consistent set for statistics, anatomical comparison and paleoenvironment reconstructions. Actually, most of web databases collect data of invertebrate species, and vertebrate tetrapods up to the Neogene. Instead, just few of them record data about Pleistocene mammal fauna, being PBDB and NOW the best known ones, respectively developed by teams of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of the University of Helsinki. Even less databases represent data within a contextualized land map, and often coordinates of sites and fossils are not available for the download. With this contribution, a new web database is presented, specifically developed for Late Pleistocene mammals. Such range of time includes a changing world, where wild fauna progressively left the scene in favor of modern species and humans. www.paleogeographic.com represents the last 125.000 years and more through geomaps, completely developed with Open Source software and tools. All data are available with references, details about fossils and measurements, and paleontologists can have access, and are encouraged to contribute to the database enrichment.
La Grotta del Cerè (catasto n. 258 V VR) si trova nel comune di Ceredo (Sant'Anna d'Alfaedo, VR) ... more La Grotta del Cerè (catasto n. 258 V VR) si trova nel comune di Ceredo (Sant'Anna d'Alfaedo, VR) a circa 750 m slm. Conosciuta fin dal 1735, la grotta consiste in una singola sala di 6,5x5 m. Pasa (1954), che studiò il sito, riteneva che la breccia ossifera si fosse formata in un contesto di inghiottitoio e che l'attuale apertura si fosse originata durante un secondo ciclo carsico.
Nella prospettiva di riaprire lo scavo, si è deciso di affrontare una revisione sistematica delle faune conservate presso il Museo di Storia Naturale di Verona. Lo studio dei reperti ha portato ad identificare alcuni taxa mai segnalati in precedenza nel sito (per esempio l'Homotherium) oppure a cambiare l'attribuzione tassonomica di quelli precedentemente descritti. Si riportano qui i dati preliminari riguardanti i carnivori: Canidi, Felidi e Mustelidi.
La specie più abbondante nel sito è il Canis mosbachensis Soergel, 1925, rappresentato da circa 4500 resti. L'abbondanza di resti del genere Canis permette di considerare la Grotta del Cerè uno dei siti più importanti per lo studio dell'evoluzione del genere, permettendo di affrontare un vero e proprio studio di popolazione.
Gli altri Carnivori sono rappresentati da elementi sporadici. Tra i Felidi spicca sicuramente Homotherium latidens (Owen, 1846), rappresentato unicamente da un P4 superiore sinistro, che non era stato segnalato precedentemente nel sito. Altri Felidi presenti sono: Panthera leo (L., 1758), Panthera cf. pardus (L., 1758), Felis silvestris Schreber, 1775 e Lynx cf. spelaeus Boule, 1906.
I Mustelidae sono rappresentati da Gulo gulo (L., 1758), Mustela cf. putorius L., 1758, Martes sp. L., 1758 e Meles meles (L., 1758).
Le nuove determinazioni, con la presenza di specie come Canis mosbachensis, Ursus deningeri e Homotherium latidens, confermerebbero che la fauna rappresentata è riconducibile all'Età a Mammiferi del Galeriano e non a quella dell'Aureliano come era stato ipotizzato da alcuni Autori.
La maggior parte dei reperti è ben conservata e i carnivori sono la maggioranza delle specie rappresentate. La maggior parte degli individui sono giovani-adulti senza usura marcata dei denti. I Canidi sono oltre il 50% del totale, seguiti dai Rodentia (Marmota marmota primigenia) 12%, Ursidae 6%. Felidae e Mustelidae complessivamente sono circa l'1%. La presenza della marmotta indica che la grotta si trovava al di sopra del limite degli alberi, benchè la presenza della lince, del gatto selvatico, del tasso e del genere Martes sembra indicare la presenza di aree forestali non distanti.
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Papers by Elena Ghezzo
ex Cava a Filo testifies the presence of typical species closely related to cold climate and open environments with diffuse forested areas.
Macromammals are represented by large artiodactyls, such as Bison priscus, Megaloceros giganteus and Capreolus capreolus, with the predominance of the largest species. Canis lupus is the only carnivorous determined in the site, and lagomorphs are represented by Lepus timidus. Fossils were recoveded as single bones, with the exception of mountain hare, represented by a complete skeleton.
The small mammal assemblage of ex Cava a Filo is represented by 166 remains corresponding to 132 individuals. It is dominated by Microtus arvalis, a species widespread and often dominant in the Italian Peninsula around the Last Glacial Maximum.
The environment surrounding the site was mainly characterized by open and dry meadows, while few low forested areas are testified by the presence of rare Clethrionomys glareolus, Apodemus cf. sylvaticus and Erinaceus europaeus.
Chinomys nivalis and Marmota marmota, although rare, indicate cold climate conditions. The taphonomy analysis shows different accumulation causes: the site was likely a trap for most of the small mammals and few of them was probably hunted by diurnal bird of prey or small carnivores.
Avifauna is represented by Lyrurus tetrix, Lagopus mutus, Perdix perdix, Nucifraga caryocatactes, Pyrrhocorax graculus, and Falco tinnunculus. Such interesting association is quite rich in terms of species, and confirms the environmental context of deposition at ex Cava a Filo. An interesting tibia of bison shows anthropic signs on the bone surface, left by a lithic tool during the animal slaughtering.
The partially preserved skeleton has been cleaned removing the superficial strata of patina and plaster. Paraloid B72 and Mowital B60HH have been used as primer and glue, and Balsite for integrations. The latter is usually used for wooden restorations and has been considered here for its functional characteristics that make it suitable as a new application in palaeontology.
The fossil is a young cub of lynx, aged less than five months at the death, here determined as Lynx sp. because at that age it did not still developed the distinctive specific characters of a particular species.
far from being resolved. The most controversial species of
this group is Lynx pardinus spelaeus or Lynx spelaeus
according to different scholars, recorded in the Middle and
Late Pleistocene of France and Italy. Here, we describe
unpublished remains of fossil lynxes from different layers
of the Valdemino cave (Middle to Late Pleistocene, Savona, Italy). The reported evidence suggests that the lynx from Valdemino represents probably the most ancient well-documented material of L. spelaeus in Europe further
reinforcing the idea of progressive size reduction and
acquisition of more trenchant dentition in the European
lineages of lynx (L. pardinus and L. spelaeus) during the
Middle to Late Pleistocene.
and Rumanian sites from bibliography. The analysis allows to ascribe Ceré remains to the first West European form, Marmota marmota mesostyla. The presence of Canis mosbachensis, previously studied, Homotherium cf. latidens, Ursus deningeri and Marmota marmota mesostyla allowes to
ascribe the fauna from Cerè cave to Galerian Age.
area) during the pre Last Glacial Maximum Late Pleistocene.
Almost all skeletal elements are represented in the collection (except ribs, and most of axial skeleton). At Equi, leopard is represented by both young and adult animals and, up to now, it seems the first and unique Pleistocene evidence of cave usage for cubs raised in Europe. This study focuses on the whole record of leopard from Equi, housed in the Museum of Natural History of Florence, and is aimed to analyze the taphonomical assemblage, to provide an anatomical description of the remains and the comparison to the European evidences. Moreover, we infer the paleoecology of leopards, and their relationships with other large carnivores from the Equi guild (Ursus spelaeus, Canis
lupus, and Panthera leo spelaea). The site was probably an occasional large carnivores den, used over time by different large carnivore taxa, perhaps in different seasons or times (mutual avoiding). Our morphological analysis allows us to recognize sexual dimorphic characters in the cranium, and a large morphological variability in body size.
Conference Presentations by Elena Ghezzo
Actually, most of web databases collect data of invertebrate species, and vertebrate tetrapods up to the Neogene. Instead, just few of them record data about Pleistocene mammal fauna, being PBDB and NOW the best known ones, respectively developed by teams of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of the University of Helsinki. Even less databases represent data within a contextualized land map, and often coordinates of sites and fossils are not available for the download.
With this contribution, a new web database is presented, specifically developed for Late Pleistocene mammals. Such range of time includes a changing world, where wild fauna progressively left the scene in favor of modern species and humans.
www.paleogeographic.com represents the last 125.000 years and more through geomaps, completely developed with Open Source software and tools. All data are available with references, details about fossils and measurements, and paleontologists can have access, and are encouraged to contribute to the database enrichment.
Nella prospettiva di riaprire lo scavo, si è deciso di affrontare una revisione sistematica delle faune conservate presso il Museo di Storia Naturale di Verona. Lo studio dei reperti ha portato ad identificare alcuni taxa mai segnalati in precedenza nel sito (per esempio l'Homotherium) oppure a cambiare l'attribuzione tassonomica di quelli precedentemente descritti. Si riportano qui i dati preliminari riguardanti i carnivori: Canidi, Felidi e Mustelidi.
La specie più abbondante nel sito è il Canis mosbachensis Soergel, 1925, rappresentato da circa 4500 resti. L'abbondanza di resti del genere Canis permette di considerare la Grotta del Cerè uno dei siti più importanti per lo studio dell'evoluzione del genere, permettendo di affrontare un vero e proprio studio di popolazione.
Gli altri Carnivori sono rappresentati da elementi sporadici. Tra i Felidi spicca sicuramente Homotherium latidens (Owen, 1846), rappresentato unicamente da un P4 superiore sinistro, che non era stato segnalato precedentemente nel sito. Altri Felidi presenti sono: Panthera leo (L., 1758), Panthera cf. pardus (L., 1758), Felis silvestris Schreber, 1775 e Lynx cf. spelaeus Boule, 1906.
I Mustelidae sono rappresentati da Gulo gulo (L., 1758), Mustela cf. putorius L., 1758, Martes sp. L., 1758 e Meles meles (L., 1758).
Le nuove determinazioni, con la presenza di specie come Canis mosbachensis, Ursus deningeri e Homotherium latidens, confermerebbero che la fauna rappresentata è riconducibile all'Età a Mammiferi del Galeriano e non a quella dell'Aureliano come era stato ipotizzato da alcuni Autori.
La maggior parte dei reperti è ben conservata e i carnivori sono la maggioranza delle specie rappresentate. La maggior parte degli individui sono giovani-adulti senza usura marcata dei denti. I Canidi sono oltre il 50% del totale, seguiti dai Rodentia (Marmota marmota primigenia) 12%, Ursidae 6%. Felidae e Mustelidae complessivamente sono circa l'1%. La presenza della marmotta indica che la grotta si trovava al di sopra del limite degli alberi, benchè la presenza della lince, del gatto selvatico, del tasso e del genere Martes sembra indicare la presenza di aree forestali non distanti.
ex Cava a Filo testifies the presence of typical species closely related to cold climate and open environments with diffuse forested areas.
Macromammals are represented by large artiodactyls, such as Bison priscus, Megaloceros giganteus and Capreolus capreolus, with the predominance of the largest species. Canis lupus is the only carnivorous determined in the site, and lagomorphs are represented by Lepus timidus. Fossils were recoveded as single bones, with the exception of mountain hare, represented by a complete skeleton.
The small mammal assemblage of ex Cava a Filo is represented by 166 remains corresponding to 132 individuals. It is dominated by Microtus arvalis, a species widespread and often dominant in the Italian Peninsula around the Last Glacial Maximum.
The environment surrounding the site was mainly characterized by open and dry meadows, while few low forested areas are testified by the presence of rare Clethrionomys glareolus, Apodemus cf. sylvaticus and Erinaceus europaeus.
Chinomys nivalis and Marmota marmota, although rare, indicate cold climate conditions. The taphonomy analysis shows different accumulation causes: the site was likely a trap for most of the small mammals and few of them was probably hunted by diurnal bird of prey or small carnivores.
Avifauna is represented by Lyrurus tetrix, Lagopus mutus, Perdix perdix, Nucifraga caryocatactes, Pyrrhocorax graculus, and Falco tinnunculus. Such interesting association is quite rich in terms of species, and confirms the environmental context of deposition at ex Cava a Filo. An interesting tibia of bison shows anthropic signs on the bone surface, left by a lithic tool during the animal slaughtering.
The partially preserved skeleton has been cleaned removing the superficial strata of patina and plaster. Paraloid B72 and Mowital B60HH have been used as primer and glue, and Balsite for integrations. The latter is usually used for wooden restorations and has been considered here for its functional characteristics that make it suitable as a new application in palaeontology.
The fossil is a young cub of lynx, aged less than five months at the death, here determined as Lynx sp. because at that age it did not still developed the distinctive specific characters of a particular species.
far from being resolved. The most controversial species of
this group is Lynx pardinus spelaeus or Lynx spelaeus
according to different scholars, recorded in the Middle and
Late Pleistocene of France and Italy. Here, we describe
unpublished remains of fossil lynxes from different layers
of the Valdemino cave (Middle to Late Pleistocene, Savona, Italy). The reported evidence suggests that the lynx from Valdemino represents probably the most ancient well-documented material of L. spelaeus in Europe further
reinforcing the idea of progressive size reduction and
acquisition of more trenchant dentition in the European
lineages of lynx (L. pardinus and L. spelaeus) during the
Middle to Late Pleistocene.
and Rumanian sites from bibliography. The analysis allows to ascribe Ceré remains to the first West European form, Marmota marmota mesostyla. The presence of Canis mosbachensis, previously studied, Homotherium cf. latidens, Ursus deningeri and Marmota marmota mesostyla allowes to
ascribe the fauna from Cerè cave to Galerian Age.
area) during the pre Last Glacial Maximum Late Pleistocene.
Almost all skeletal elements are represented in the collection (except ribs, and most of axial skeleton). At Equi, leopard is represented by both young and adult animals and, up to now, it seems the first and unique Pleistocene evidence of cave usage for cubs raised in Europe. This study focuses on the whole record of leopard from Equi, housed in the Museum of Natural History of Florence, and is aimed to analyze the taphonomical assemblage, to provide an anatomical description of the remains and the comparison to the European evidences. Moreover, we infer the paleoecology of leopards, and their relationships with other large carnivores from the Equi guild (Ursus spelaeus, Canis
lupus, and Panthera leo spelaea). The site was probably an occasional large carnivores den, used over time by different large carnivore taxa, perhaps in different seasons or times (mutual avoiding). Our morphological analysis allows us to recognize sexual dimorphic characters in the cranium, and a large morphological variability in body size.
Actually, most of web databases collect data of invertebrate species, and vertebrate tetrapods up to the Neogene. Instead, just few of them record data about Pleistocene mammal fauna, being PBDB and NOW the best known ones, respectively developed by teams of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of the University of Helsinki. Even less databases represent data within a contextualized land map, and often coordinates of sites and fossils are not available for the download.
With this contribution, a new web database is presented, specifically developed for Late Pleistocene mammals. Such range of time includes a changing world, where wild fauna progressively left the scene in favor of modern species and humans.
www.paleogeographic.com represents the last 125.000 years and more through geomaps, completely developed with Open Source software and tools. All data are available with references, details about fossils and measurements, and paleontologists can have access, and are encouraged to contribute to the database enrichment.
Nella prospettiva di riaprire lo scavo, si è deciso di affrontare una revisione sistematica delle faune conservate presso il Museo di Storia Naturale di Verona. Lo studio dei reperti ha portato ad identificare alcuni taxa mai segnalati in precedenza nel sito (per esempio l'Homotherium) oppure a cambiare l'attribuzione tassonomica di quelli precedentemente descritti. Si riportano qui i dati preliminari riguardanti i carnivori: Canidi, Felidi e Mustelidi.
La specie più abbondante nel sito è il Canis mosbachensis Soergel, 1925, rappresentato da circa 4500 resti. L'abbondanza di resti del genere Canis permette di considerare la Grotta del Cerè uno dei siti più importanti per lo studio dell'evoluzione del genere, permettendo di affrontare un vero e proprio studio di popolazione.
Gli altri Carnivori sono rappresentati da elementi sporadici. Tra i Felidi spicca sicuramente Homotherium latidens (Owen, 1846), rappresentato unicamente da un P4 superiore sinistro, che non era stato segnalato precedentemente nel sito. Altri Felidi presenti sono: Panthera leo (L., 1758), Panthera cf. pardus (L., 1758), Felis silvestris Schreber, 1775 e Lynx cf. spelaeus Boule, 1906.
I Mustelidae sono rappresentati da Gulo gulo (L., 1758), Mustela cf. putorius L., 1758, Martes sp. L., 1758 e Meles meles (L., 1758).
Le nuove determinazioni, con la presenza di specie come Canis mosbachensis, Ursus deningeri e Homotherium latidens, confermerebbero che la fauna rappresentata è riconducibile all'Età a Mammiferi del Galeriano e non a quella dell'Aureliano come era stato ipotizzato da alcuni Autori.
La maggior parte dei reperti è ben conservata e i carnivori sono la maggioranza delle specie rappresentate. La maggior parte degli individui sono giovani-adulti senza usura marcata dei denti. I Canidi sono oltre il 50% del totale, seguiti dai Rodentia (Marmota marmota primigenia) 12%, Ursidae 6%. Felidae e Mustelidae complessivamente sono circa l'1%. La presenza della marmotta indica che la grotta si trovava al di sopra del limite degli alberi, benchè la presenza della lince, del gatto selvatico, del tasso e del genere Martes sembra indicare la presenza di aree forestali non distanti.