1,721,079 research outputs found
A new delphinid record (Odontoceti, Cetacea) from the Early Pliocene of Tuscany (Central Italy): systematics and biostratigraphic considerations
No full textA new partial delphinid skeleton (Cetacea, Odontoceti), from Pliocene sediments of Tuscany (Italy) consists of a fragmentary skull, ear bones, mandible, some vertebrae and rib fragments. The specimen is related to the Pliocene “Stenella” giulii, a species known from four specimens collected in the Pisa hills in the second half of 19th Century. “Stenella” giulii is here referred to the new genus Etruridelphis. Differences between Etruridelphis and all the extant Stenella spp. include: i) larger size of skull ii) wider and flatter premaxillae on the rostrum iii) narrower superior process of the periotic and iv) lower processus muscularis of the malleus. The dolphin is from a 25 m thick section for which foraminifera indicate an Early Pliocene outer shelf or upper slope environment (slightly before 3.98 Ma). The dolphin horizon, 13 meters above the base of the section produces Globorotalia margaritae and G. puncticulata, indicating the MPl 3 zone (Zanclean). Previous biostratigraphic analyses on other Etruridelphis specimens confirm that E. giulii is Early and Middle Pliocene in age
The Palaeobiology of the False Mako Shark, Parotodus benedenii (Le Hon, 1871): A View from the Pliocene Mediterranean Sea
No full textThe extinct “false mako” shark, Parotodus benedenii (Lamniformes: Otodontidae), is essentially known from large, robust teeth that are widespread but overall rare in Oligocene to Pliocene deposits worldwide. More than 150 years after its description, this species still represents a palaeontological conundrum, as very little is known about its body aspect and palaeoecology. Here, we describe new specimens of P. benedenii from the Pliocene of Tuscany, central Italy. These new finds comprise some of the geologically youngest finds of P. benedenii worldwide, witnessing to the survival of false makos until the Late Pliocene at least, which in turn suggests that P. benedenii may have been the latest surviving member of the family Otodontidae. Building upon a thorough literature review, we provide an updated synthesis of the palaeobiology of P. benedenii. In light of the morphological evidence, and considering previously published suggestions, P. benedenii may be reconstructed as a large-sized, carnivorous shark that dwelt in pelagic settings and fed primarily on large, soft prey and scavenging items. Thus, some ecological partitioning did likely exist between P. benedenii and other elasmobranch apex predators of the Neogene mid-latitude seas (including, in Pliocene times, the extant species Carcharodon carcharias, Carcharhinus leucas and Galeocerdo cuvier)
A new delphinid record (Odontoceti, Cetacea) from the Early Pliocene of Tuscany (Central Italy): systematics and biostratigraphic considerations
No full textA new partial delphinid skeleton (Cetacea, Odontoceti), from Pliocene sediments of Tuscany (Italy) consists of a fragmentary skull, ear bones, mandible, some vertebrae and rib fragments. The specimen is related to the Pliocene "Stenella" giulii, a species known from four specimens collected in the Pisa hills in the second half of 19th Century. "Stenella" giulii is here referred to the new genus Etruridelphis. Differences between Etruridelphis and all the extant Stenella spp. include: i) larger size of skull ii) wider and flatter premaxillae on the rostrum iii) narrower superior process of the periotic and iv) lower processus muscularis of the malleus. The dolphin is from a 25 m thick section for which foraminifera indicate an Early Pliocene outer shelf or upper slope environment (slightly before 3.98 Ma). The dolphin horizon, 13 meters above the base of the section produces Globorotalia margaritae and G. puncticulata, indicating the MP1 3 zone (Zanclean). Previous biostratigraphic analyses on other Etruridelphis specimens confirm that E. giulii is Early and Middle Pliocene in age
A new specimen of the extinct ghost crab species Ocypode italica (Decapoda: Brachyura: Ocypodidae) from the Pliocene of Tuscany (Italy)
No full textWell-preserved fossils of benthic marine invertebrates, including decapod crustaceans, are often found in the Pliocene sediments that constitute the substratum of the hills of Tuscany. Year after year, new or “exotic” taxa are thus found and documented, mostly thanks to isolated fnds. In systematic paleontology, the ideal condition for instituting a new species is by working on many specimens: in this way, a newly instituted taxon may be described on the basis of the holotype and other specimens that would depict its intraspecifc variability. That said, given the fragmentary nature of the fossil record, this happens rarely, and several extinct species are instituted and described based on very few specimens. It is the case for the ghost crab species Ocypode italica Garassino et al., 2010, which was known so far by the holotype and one paratype. Such a limited fossil record is typical of the Ocypode spp. and might refect the habitat preferences of this group of ghost crab species, inhabiting high-energy sandy shores at tropical and subtropical latitudes worldwide. Among the Neogene record of decapod crustaceans from Italy, the two known specimens of O. italica are nonetheless of prime importance, as they represent the northernmost fnds of the genus Ocypode in the Mediterranean Basin, as well as the geologically oldest species of Ocypode in Europe. Recently, thanks to the cooperation between some local amateurs and academically educated paleontologists, a well-preserved new specimen of O. italica has been collected from the same upper Pliocene deposits of Tuscany (central Italy) from which the type specimens originate. Our new fnd represents the third known specimen of this species, and as such, it allows to better characterize the anatomy of the carapace, chelipeds and walking legs of this rarely reported extinct form of ghost crabs. In particular, anatomical resemblances between O. italica and the extant form Ocypode cursor (Linnaeus, 1758) may suggest similar ecological and trophic habits for these two Mediterranean species. In the present work we fgure and describe this new specimen, and briefy discuss its signifcance in the broader picture of the Pliocene fossil record of Tuscany
The Pliocene elasmobranch collection at the Palaeontological Exhibition of G.A.M.P.S. (Badia a Settimo, Tuscany, Italy)
No full textIn the little village of Badia a Settimo (Scandicci), close to Florence (Italy), in an old school facility, a collection of fossils of prime importance is managed by an association of volunteer, amateur palaeontologists: the G.A.M.P.S. (Gruppo AVIS Mineralogia e Paleontologia Scandicci - Mineralogical & Palaeontological AVIS Group of Scandicci). In this collection, several unique or simply very well preserved specimens have been stored and prepared, and some of them were eventually put on public exhibition. Most of the exposed specimens are fossils of vertebrates and invertebrates from the Pliocene marine deposits of Tuscany. Most of the G.A.M.P.S. invertebrate collection is comprised of gastropods, bivalves, brachiopods, echinoids and crabs. These benthic invertebrate fossils, which include some exquisitely preserved specimens, shed light on the diversity of the Pliocene biota of the central Mediterranean Sea. Furthermore, the G.A.M.P.S. exhibition is enriched by a spectacular section devoted to of the marine vertebrates that lived along the coasts of Tuscany during the Pliocene: an almost complete specimen of a balaenopteroid baleen-bearing whale, together which some specimens of Metaxytherium (an extinct species of sea cow), Etruridelphis (an extinct species of dolphins), and a plethora of fshes are admirable at Badia a Settimo. In particular, the G.A.M.P.S. collection of elasmobranch teeth and spines is remarkable: over 30 species of sharks, rays and skates have been found in the Pliocene sediments of Tuscany and are now present at the G.A.M.P.S. palaeontological exhibition. Each of these species tells the visitors a different story about the biological and environmental evolution of the Mediterranean Basin during the last fve million years. The G.A.M.P.S. experience highlights how the continuous collaboration between amateur and professional palaeontologists, in compliance with the laws in force and modern scientifc and museological standards, has the potential to adequately highlight and give value to new palaeontological fnds. The aim of the present work is to present the elasmobranch collection of the G.A.M.P.S. and to discuss the communicative strategies used to present the Pliocene world at the G.A.M.P.S. exhibition at Badia a Settimo
A new record of Ocypode italica (Brachyura: Ocypodidae) from the Pliocene of Tuscany (Central Italy)
No full textWell-preserved fossils of benthic marine invertebrates, including decapod crustaceans, are often found in the Pliocene sediments that constitute the substratum of the hills of Tuscany. Year after year, new or “exotic” taxa are found and documented, mostly thanks to isolated finds. In systematic paleontology, the ideal condition for instituting a new species is by working on many specimens: in this way, a newly instituted taxon may be described on the basis of the holotype and other specimens that would depict its intraspecific variability. That said, given the fragmentary nature of the fossil record, this happens rarely, and several extinct species are instituted and described based on very few specimens. It is the case for the ghost crab Ocypode italica Garassino et al., 2010 (Decapoda: Brachyura: Ocypodidae), which was known so far by the holotype and one paratype. Recently, thanks to the cooperation between some citizen scientists and academically educated paleontologists, a well-preserved new specimen of O. italica was collected from the same upper Pliocene deposits of Tuscany (central Italy) from which the type specimens originate. Our new find represents the third known specimen of this extinct species, and as such, it allows to better characterize the anatomy of the carapace, chelipeds and walking legs of this rarely occurring ghost crab. In the present work we report on this new find and briefly discuss its palaeontological significance
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Erratum: MERELLA, M., COLLARETA, A., CASATI, S., DI CENCIO, A. & BIANUCCI, G. (2021): An unexpected deadly meeting: Deep- water (hexanchid) shark bite marks on a sirenian skeleton from Pliocene shoreface deposits of Tuscany (Italy). - Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen, 301 (3): 295-305. doi: 10.1127/njgpa/2021/1012
No full textAbstract not availabl
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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