Page 18 - Palombo_Ferretti _2005

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