Page 6 - Palombo_Ferretti _2005

ARTICLE IN PRESS
112 M.R. Palombo, M.P. Ferretti / Quaternary International 126–128 (2005) 107–136

difference between the Italian fossil form and the extant Azzaroli (in Ambrosetti et al., 1972) erected this new
Asian elephants and attributed the Upper Valdarno taxon on an almost complete skeleton from Madonna
specimens to ‘‘E.’’ primigenius, described a few years della Strada near Scoppito (L’Aquila, Abruzzi; Mac-
earlier by Blumenbach (1799). In 1825, however, after cagno, 1962a; CLA). He then assigned to this subspecies
the discovery of some complete skulls from the Upper also specimens collected in sandy deposits near Farneta
Valdarno, Nesti was able to prove that the fossil (Chiana Valley, Tuscany). The material from Farneta
elephant occurring in the Upper Valdarno sediments (IGF) includes two fragmented skulls, isolated molars,
was, actually, different from the species described by post-cranials and a partial skeleton belonging to an old
Blumenbach. Given its more southern distribution with individual. According to Azzaroli (1977a), derived
respect to the then known range of the woolly characters possessed by M. m. vestinus are:a larger
mammoth, Nesti (1825) named the new Italian species overall size (the shoulder height of the type specimen
‘‘E.’’ meridionalis. The M. meridionalis sample from the from Scoppito is 3750 mm) compared with M. meridio-
Upper Valdarno includes some skeletons, several skulls nalis from Upper Valdarno (the shoulder height of a
and mandibles and hundreds of isolated molars and male skeleton from Upper Valdarno is 3350 mm), and a
post-cranials (IGF, MPM, MPB, NHMB). Thorough more advanced cranial morphology (Fig. 4). The skull is
descriptions of this material are provided by Weithofer shorter and deeper, with very long tusk sheaths. The
(1893), Azzaroli (1966, 1977a), and Ferretti (1998, cranium is higher with its vertex more caudally
1999). displaced. The forehead is extremely concave. The tusks
The type material of M. meridionalis pertains to the are larger, but similar in shape to those of M.
second lacustrine sequence (Montevarchi) of the Upper meridionalis from Upper Valdarno. A recent revision
Valdarno Plio-Pleistocene succession (Albianelli et al., of the material ascribed to this subspecies demonstrated,
1995; Magi et al., 1992). Fossil vertebrates have been on the other hand, that M. m. vestinus does not differ
retrieved from various levels along the Montevarchi from the type form from Upper Valdarno in its dental
sequence, and have been grouped into two distinct characters (Ferretti, 1999). This makes discrimination
faunal assemblages, based on faunal turnover (see between the two taxa very difficult, if skulls are not
below):the older Matassino Fauna and the Tasso available. Indeed, given the low number of complete and
Fauna (Azzaroli, 1977a, b; Azzaroli et al., 1988; Gliozzi undeformed late Villafranchian M. meridionalis skulls at
et al,. 1997). Most of the M. meridionalis specimens from hand, and considering the variability of extant ele-
Upper Valdarno belong to old museum collections, and phants’ skull morphology (Beden, 1979; Deraniyagala,
no precise stratigraphic data are known. Nevertheless, 1955), the validity of vestinus, as a separate sub-species
the material as a whole is quite homogeneous. Indeed, a from typical M. meridionalis, should be considered with
statistical analysis of two selected samples that included caution.
specimens with known provenance failed to reveal any At Pietrafitta, Perugia, a locality broadly coeval with
significant metric differences between the Matassino and Scoppito and Farneta (Ambrosetti et al., 1987, 1992),
Tasso mammoth material (Ferretti, 1998). Descriptive numerous complete skeletons of M. meridionalis have
statistics for upper and lower second and third molars been retrieved (CET). Unfortunately, skulls are crushed
(M2–m2; M3–m3) of M. meridionalis from Upper and deformed. The molars from Pietrafitta do not show
Valdarno (Matassino and Tasso faunas pooled sample) any clear advancement with respect to the Upper
are given in Table 3. Valdarno sample (Figs. 3c and d; Table 4). Isolated
Following Azzaroli (1977a), late Italian populations mammoth teeth from other Italian localities referable to
of southern mammoth, approximately dated between the same time interval, such as Mugello (Tuscany;
1.5 and 0.8 Ma, are generally considered as more derived Abbazzi et al., 1995; IGF), Redicicoli (Rome; MPR),
than the typical form from Upper Valdarno and Torrente Crostolo (Reggio Emilia; Ambrosetti and
included into a separate subspecies, M. m. vestinus. Cremaschi, 1976; MSNRE), and Leffe lower level

Table 3
Summary statistics of dental variables of second and third molars of M. meridionalis from Upper Valdarno (‘Matassino’ and Tasso faunas), Italy
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 13 212 175–243 15 89 80–103 11 120 103–148 17 9 8–10 17 2.7 2.2–3.4 6 5.0 4.5–6.0 11 1.40 1.00–1.60
m2 2 204 200–209 3 83 82–86 2 103 102–104 3 9 9–10 3 2.8 2.7–2.9 3 5.5 5.5–6.5 3 1.30 1.00–1.60
M3 21 269 226–343 29 101 83–123 27 131 101–160 33 13 11–14 33 3.2 2.6–3.9 36 5.0 4.0–6.0 13 1.30 1.10–1.60
m3 16 282 236–350 12 91 81–113 12 112 91–140 19 13 12–14 19 3.0 2.4–3.7 10 5.0 4.5–6.0 6 1.30 1.20–1.30
a
Excluding talons.
b
According to Maglio (1973).