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Marx
No full textBiografia di Marx letta da Antonio Labriola nelle lezioni accademiche tenute tra il 1892 e il 189
Mystemys giganteus n. gen. et sp.: an enigmatic and rare cricetid from the Terre Rosse M013 fissure filling (Gargano, Southeastern Italy).
No full textMystemys giganteus is a new strongly endemic cricetid that occurs only in the recently discovered M013 Terre Rosse fissure filling of the
Gargano area. This species was presented alongside the other taxa of the M013 fissure in a previous paper and it is here described in
detail. Although the material includes only five molars, Mystemys is exceptional for its very large size (length of M1: 6.23 mm) and
peculiar morphology. The molars are heavy built with bulged and robust cusps, tubercular crests, narrow valleys, very thick and
crenulated enamel. The morphological features of Mystemys are very carefully described, with special focus on the evolutionary
modifications induced by isolation. The strong endemic modifications as well as the peculiar combination of features distinguish this
cricetid from all the other mainland species, obscuring its phylogenetic relationship.
Nevertheless, the systematic comparisons with the mainland cricetid genera suggest that this insular taxon should have derived from a
Miocene mainland ancestor with a primitive “Democricetodon-like” or “Cricetodon-like” morphological pattern.
This conclusion constrains the age of the potential mainland ancestor to a chronological interval spanning MN1–MN9. This time
slice is not suitable for the dispersal of the ancestor of Gargano Muridae, thus reinforcing the idea that the Terre Rosse fauna is the
result of multiple dispersal events
Origin of the Elements of the endemic "Terre Rosse" fauna (Gargano, South eastern Italy)
No full textThe attention of the scientific community has recently been addressed on various aspects of the Messinian endemic vertebrates from the foreland sector of the Abruzzo - Apulian paleobioprovince: several new papers dealing with ruminants, glirids, insectivores, cricetids, as well as with biochronological, palaeographic and biogeographic aspects have been published in the last ten years. New fossils finds enriched the taxonomic composition of the Gargano endemic fauna: a new Cricetodontinae genus, a new Murinae genus representing the direct ancestor of the endemic murid Mikrotia, and a new species of primitive giant moonrat Deinogalerix. The recently published taxonomic description of the smaller moonrat Apulogalerix also contributed to a better knowledge of the endemic Gargano fauna. Although these new data and contributions brought substantial improvement to the taxonomy of the fauna and to the ecology of the moonrats, the debate on the origin and age of dispersal of most of the faunal elements is still open. In this contribution we present some of the open problems regarding the origin of several of the elements of the “Terre Rosse” fauna. The study of the small moonrat Apulogalerix has shown that its most likely continental ancestor should be found in Parasorex socialis – ibericus. Such philogenetic relationship constrains the age of its dispersal on the insular realm to the Late Vallesian (MN9-10). This is in partial contradiction with paleogeographic reconstruction based on geological data, which suggest that the time slice MN6-MN11 is the least favourable time interval for the dispersal of the taxa on the insular domain. The study in progress of the new genus of Cricetodontinae shows that this form is not clearly related to any of the known continental genera. The features of this new genus, however, are more compatible with a possible derivation from some Cricetodon-like genus. This affinity suggests an age of dispersal of Early Miocene-early Middle Miocene (MN4-5) or older and implies that the “Terre Rosse” fauna is the result of different dispersals event scattered in different time slices. A still open problem is represented by the Crocidosoricinae shrew named as Lartetium in the literature. Indeed, the absence of residual a3, a character considered as diagnostic of the genus, renders the generic attribution very problematic and would require further investigations. The new discovered Murinae genus shares a number of synapormophies with Mikrotia genus. Its description should be completed, however, by the comparison with the smallest and most primitive Mikrotia from the Terre Rosse. The question of the continental ancestor of this taxon is still unresolved and the preliminary comparisons with European Murinae taxa unfortunately did not shed light on its philogenetic relationship and therefore this matter deserves much more efforts. The Apodemus species from the “Terre Rosse” has never been studied in details. Preliminary observations pointed out that this form shows similarities with late Turolian-Ruscinian Apodemus forms from continental Europe. A more detailed analysis, currently under development, seems to confirm this interpretation and, therefore, permits to exclude a derivation of this form from more primitive Apodemus species (referred to as genus “Parapodemus” by several authors)
Parasorex depereti (Crochet, 1986) (Lipotyphla, Mammalia), from the Upper Messinian (MN13) fissure filling of Brisighella (Faenza, Northern Apennine, Italy)
No full textA large-sized species of Parasorex is rather common in the MN13 mammal assemblages from the uppermost Messinian sandy - marly fissure fillings within the Gessoso Solfifera Formation at Brisighella (Northern Apennine). This erinaceid had been originally classified as Galerix sp. in the first papers on the Brisighella fauna. Later on, it was described in detail in an unpublished dissertation by Fanfani (1999) who referred it to Galerix depereti. Unfortunately, the study remained virtually unknown to the scientific community. Hoek Ostende (2001) included G. depereti in the genus Parasorex, while Ziegler (2005) accommodated it in Schizogalerix. Hoek Ostende’s (2001) opinion is followed here. Parasorex deperetihas been described by Crochet (1986) on rather scarce material from a few Early Pliocene (MN14-15) localities of southern France and Spain. Parasorex cf. depereti is represented in the Italian Messinian/Zanclean deposits of Borro Strolla, (Val d’Elsa Basin, Tuscany) by a single M3 (Abbazzi et al,, 2008). Several other remains from the Early Pliocene fauna of Capo_Mannu (Mandriola, Sardinia) have been referred to Parasorex depereti (Furio and Angelone, 2011). The species seems actually distribute in south-western Europe, where it represents the youngest occurrence of genus Parasorex. The very abundant sample of P. depereti from fissure filling BRS25 enables a more accurate and comprehensive biometrical description of the species. It also permits to inspect the mesial traits of the dentition which Crochet (1986) had failed to describe. The systematic position of the species can also be revisited and compared with those of other European Galericini taxa. Abbazzi, L., Benvenuti, M., Ceci, M. E., Esu, D., Faranda, C., Rook, L. & Tangocci, F., 2008. The end of the Lago-Mare time in the SE Valdelsa Basin (Central Italy): interference between local tectonism and regional sea-level rise. Geodiversitas, 30 (3) : 611-639. Crochet, P.Y.,1986. Insectivores Pliocènes du sud de la France (Languedoc-Roussillon) et du nord-est de l’Espagne. Palaeovertebrata, 16: 145-171. Fanfani F., 1999. Revisione degli Insettivori tardo neogenici e quaternari dell’Italia Peninsulare. PhD Dissertation in Paleontological Sciences, University of Modena, 282 pp. Furió M. & Angelone C.,2010. Insectivores from the Pliocene of Capo Mannu D1 Mandriola, central-western Sardinia, Italy). Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, 258: 229-242. Van den Hoek Ostende L.W., 2001. A revised generic classification of the Galericini (Insectivora, Mammalia) with some remarks on their palaeobiogeography and phylogeny. Geobios, 34 (6): 681 695. Ziegler R., 2005.Erinaceidae and Dimylidae (Lipotyphla) from the Upper Middle Miocene of South Germany. Senckenebergiana lethaea, 85: 131-152 KW: Parasorex, MN13, taxonomy, biometry Acknowledgments: This research was financially supported by PRIN (Research Projects of National Interest) 2009 MIUR (Ministry of Education, University and Research) grants
Apatodemus degiulii n. gen. et sp. (Rodentia, Muridae), a hitherto undescribed endemite from the Terre Rosse of Gargano (Late Miocene, Southeastern Italy)
No full textThe taxonomy of the murid that had been ascribed to the genus Apodemus from the late Miocene insular faunal assemblages of Gargano
(Southeastern Italy) is revised. Morphological and odontometric analyses of important new dental characters were undertaken. Our
investigations revealed substantial morphological differences from Apodemus. The rodent is therefore assigned to a new genus and
species, Apatodemus degiulii. The new species is characterised by a combination of advanced and primitive characters: moderately
brachyodont teeth, t7 present in all M1–2s, elongated and distally located t1 in M1, t1 often twinned in M1–2, and narrow labial
cingulid in lower molars associated to a well-developed tma. The genus Apatodemus actually includes two distinct species of different
age. A. degiulii is the oldest and is described here in detail. The other one, for the moment, is referred to as Apatodemus sp.: a more
comprehensive description of it will be presented in a future publication. Apatodemus sp. is a highly modified, endemic species, whereas
A. degiulii is slightly endemized. Despite the features of Apatodemus degiulii render difficult to asses its closest continental ancestor,
the species likely originated from some south-eastern European stock, in agreement with paleo-geographical reconstructions suggesting
periodic connections of the Abruzzo-Apulian paleobioprovince with the Balkan mainland. The age when the ancestor of Apatodemus
reached the Apulia Platform is still unclear. However, some lines of evidence suggest a probable arrival at the time of the MN13 unit
(latest Miocene)
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