Biochronology of large mammals in the early and middle Pleistocene of the Italian peninsula
<strong>Abstract</strong> During the Plio-Pleistocene, sharp important changes in the large mammal assemblages of the Italian Peninsula are not clearly recognizable. Sometimes, a progressive and gradual renewal can be observed, either due to local evolution of pre-existi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Associazione Teriologica Italiana
1997-12-01
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| Series: | Hystrix, the Italian Journal of Mammalogy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.italian-journal-of-mammalogy.it/article/view/4103 |
| _version_ | 1811286428620947456 |
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| author | Lucia Caloi Maria Rita Palombo |
| author_facet | Lucia Caloi Maria Rita Palombo |
| author_sort | Lucia Caloi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <strong>Abstract</strong> During the Plio-Pleistocene, sharp important changes in the large mammal assemblages of the Italian Peninsula are not clearly recognizable. Sometimes, a progressive and gradual renewal can be observed, either due to local evolution of pre-existing forms or by recurrent immigrations from Asia or Central Europe. The renewal phases are probably related to climatic fluctuations. An acceleration of this phenomenon may be noticed in concurrence to the major climatic crises. Under these conditions, and taking into account that the response of single taxa to climatic and environmental variations is neither uniform nor contemporary, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to fix a limit between two faunal units. In the case of the "Villafranchian"/"Galerian" faunal transition in Italy, there are at least three possible hypotheses: a) the transition can be considered to have happened more or less at the lower Pleistocene/Middle Pleistocene boundary: b) institution of the new Mammal Age, the Protogalerian, which covers the Early Pleistocene before the Great Glacial. It is characterized by the progressive appearance of "Galerian" taxa and by persistence of the arvicolids of the <em>Microtus</em> (<em>Allophaiomys</em>) subgenus: c) the transition between Villafranchian and Galerian faunas can be established conventionally e.g. at the first appearence in Italy of <em>Megaceroides verticornis</em>. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T03:00:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7119cb2616bb487eb0fbd54462d0e420 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0394-1914 1825-5272 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T03:00:58Z |
| publishDate | 1997-12-01 |
| publisher | Associazione Teriologica Italiana |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Hystrix, the Italian Journal of Mammalogy |
| spelling | doaj.art-7119cb2616bb487eb0fbd54462d0e4202022-12-22T03:05:27ZengAssociazione Teriologica ItalianaHystrix, the Italian Journal of Mammalogy0394-19141825-52721997-12-0191-210.4404/hystrix-9.1-2-4103Biochronology of large mammals in the early and middle Pleistocene of the Italian peninsulaLucia CaloiMaria Rita Palombo<strong>Abstract</strong> During the Plio-Pleistocene, sharp important changes in the large mammal assemblages of the Italian Peninsula are not clearly recognizable. Sometimes, a progressive and gradual renewal can be observed, either due to local evolution of pre-existing forms or by recurrent immigrations from Asia or Central Europe. The renewal phases are probably related to climatic fluctuations. An acceleration of this phenomenon may be noticed in concurrence to the major climatic crises. Under these conditions, and taking into account that the response of single taxa to climatic and environmental variations is neither uniform nor contemporary, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to fix a limit between two faunal units. In the case of the "Villafranchian"/"Galerian" faunal transition in Italy, there are at least three possible hypotheses: a) the transition can be considered to have happened more or less at the lower Pleistocene/Middle Pleistocene boundary: b) institution of the new Mammal Age, the Protogalerian, which covers the Early Pleistocene before the Great Glacial. It is characterized by the progressive appearance of "Galerian" taxa and by persistence of the arvicolids of the <em>Microtus</em> (<em>Allophaiomys</em>) subgenus: c) the transition between Villafranchian and Galerian faunas can be established conventionally e.g. at the first appearence in Italy of <em>Megaceroides verticornis</em>.http://www.italian-journal-of-mammalogy.it/article/view/4103BiochronologyMammaliaEarly and Middle Pleistocene |
| spellingShingle | Lucia Caloi Maria Rita Palombo Biochronology of large mammals in the early and middle Pleistocene of the Italian peninsula Hystrix, the Italian Journal of Mammalogy Biochronology Mammalia Early and Middle Pleistocene |
| title | Biochronology of large mammals in the early and middle Pleistocene of the Italian peninsula |
| title_full | Biochronology of large mammals in the early and middle Pleistocene of the Italian peninsula |
| title_fullStr | Biochronology of large mammals in the early and middle Pleistocene of the Italian peninsula |
| title_full_unstemmed | Biochronology of large mammals in the early and middle Pleistocene of the Italian peninsula |
| title_short | Biochronology of large mammals in the early and middle Pleistocene of the Italian peninsula |
| title_sort | biochronology of large mammals in the early and middle pleistocene of the italian peninsula |
| topic | Biochronology Mammalia Early and Middle Pleistocene |
| url | http://www.italian-journal-of-mammalogy.it/article/view/4103 |
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