Page 18 - Palombo_Ferretti _2005
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ARTICLE IN PRESS
          124                   M.R. Palombo, M.P. Ferretti / Quaternary International 126–128 (2005) 107–136

          Table 7
          Summary statistics of dental variables of second and third molars of a pooled sample of E.(P.) antiquus from various Italian sites
          Tooth Length     Width (W)   Height (H)  Plates a   Enamel thickness  Lamellar frequency b  Hypsodonty index (H/W)
               N Mean Range  N Mean Range N Mean Range  N Mean Range N  Mean  Range  N  Mean  Range  N  Mean  Range
          M2   4 219  197–240  7 79  66–94  6 160  130–190 5 12  10–13  6  2.4  2.0–3.0  2  6.0  6.0–6.0  6  2.02  1.57–2.47
          m2   2 254  245–263  4 74  73–76  4 138  129–148 2 13  13–13  5  2.3  2.0–2.5  2  6.0  6.0–6.0  4  1.85  1.77–1.95
          M3   13 280  224–366 32 90  10–108 29 170  121–242 9 14  12–17 35  2.6  2.1–3.5  6  5.0  5.0–5.5  28  1.92  1.22–2.57
          m3   13 298  260–343 20 82  62–104 12 147  122–172 8 15  12–17 25  2.7  1.9–3.4  2  5.5  5.5–6.0  12  1.86  1.40–2.14
            a
            Excluding talons.
            b
            According to Maglio (1973).
          Middle Pleistocene?) characterized by an unbalanced,  recovery of dental remains, confirmed the occurrence
          low-diversity and strongly endemic fauna; (2) E. (P.)  in Sardinia of an elephant smaller than the species
          ‘‘mnaidriensis’’ makes its first occurrence in the succeed-  known from the European mainland, but definitively
          ing FC (E. mnaidriensis FC; late Middle–early Late   larger than E. (P.) ‘‘mnaidriensis’’. The best-preserved
          Pleistocene) representing a mixed, impoverished fauna  specimens clearly show typical features (enamel occlusal
          including both endemic and continental taxa (such as  pattern; width–length proportion, etc.) of Mammuthus.
          large carnivores and suids); (3) E.(P.) ‘‘mnaidriensis’’ is  Relationships with mammoth species from the mainland
          also recorded in the younger Contrada Pianetti FC    are, however uncertain.
          (early Last Glacial), where it occurs together with the
          steppe ass Equus hydruntinus and other continental taxa.
          In the successive Castello FC, which is dated to the  3. Mammal succession and Proboscidean datum events
          latest Pleistocene, all endemic taxa occurring in the  in Italy
          previous FCs (including E.(P.) ‘‘mnaidriensis’’) are no
          longer recorded.                                       The construction of a land vertebrate biochronology
            The Via Libert" a sample has been correlated to    is hampered by the ephemeral nature of continental
          Oxygen Isotopic Stage (OIS) 11–12 (ca. 0.4 Ma), an   sedimentation, that prevents accumulation of long-
          age that predates the first occurrence of E.(P.)      termed sequences, and by the far lower chance that
          ‘‘mnaidriensis’’ in Sicilian assemblages (E. mnaidriensis  terrestrial organisms have to enter the fossilization
          FC). Thus, the Via Libert" a sample could actually   process. This inevitably leads to a rather punctuated
          represent one of the earliest migration of E. (P.) antiquus  fossil record, with major gaps sometimes obscuring
          from Calabria to Sicily, and the possible forerunner of  important evolutionary events. Moreover, although
          E.(P.) ‘‘mnaidriensis’’. At Contrada Fusco a large   origination and dispersal of mammalian taxa might
          mandible, outside the size range of E.(P.) ‘‘mnaidrien-  represent relatively rapid events, geologically speaking,
          sis’’, was retrieved in association with material clearly  first and last appearances of a given taxon in the fossil
          referable to this latter taxon. Radiometric dating (ESR)  record from a specific geographic area should be, more
          on enamel samples gave ages of 88 and 134 kya (Bada  prudently, considered respectively as an ante quem and
          et al., 1991). The Contrada Fusco large form, as well as  post quem datum of the actual corresponding bioevents.
          that from Z" a Minica (see above), are evidence of a new  The Italian land mammal faunal succession has been
          migration of E. (P.) antiquus to Sicily, later than that  divided into a number of Land Mammal Ages (LMA),
          which gave origin to the Via Libert" a population.   each composed of Faunal Units (FU) based on local
                                                               faunas (LF; Azzaroli, 1977b; Azzaroli et al., 1988; Caloi
          2.2.2. Sardinia                                      and Palombo, 1994a, b, 1998; Gliozzi et al., 1997;
            Sardinia records the only case in the Western      Sardella et al., 1998; Palombo et al., in press). FUs are
          Mediterranean of an endemic small-sized Mammuthus    chronologically arranged on the basis of knowledge of
          species. Only isolated molars and some postcranial are  the stage of evolution of the taxa, on their time of first
          known from five localities, that seem to span from the  and/or last appearance, as evidenced by the lowest and
          late Middle Pleistocene (Campu Giavesu and S.        highest occurrences in the fossil record, and on changing
          Giovanni in Sinis; Ambrosetti, 1972; Melis et al., 2001;  faunal associations through time. In several cases local
          Palombo, in press) to the early Late Pleistocene     faunas were calibrated through magnetostratigraphy
          (Tramariglio and Fontana Morimenta; Malatesta,       and radiometric dates, allowing correlation of the
          1954; Acconci, 1881; Major, 1883). Major (1883) erected  biochronological scale to the standard geochronologic
          the new species ‘‘E’’. lamarmorae for the post-cranial  scale (Fig. 14). In the time interval here discussed
          remains from Fontana Morimenta, based on their small  (Middle Pliocene to Late Pleistocene) three LMA are
          size and supposed different morphology with respect to  recognized:Villafranchian (early Middle Pliocene to
          E. (P.) ‘‘mnaidriensis’’ from Sicily. The successive  early Early Pleistocene), Galerian (late Early Pleistocene
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