Fabio Bona - Independent Researcher (original) (raw)

Papers by Fabio Bona

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2021

Geoheritage, 2019

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The following acknowledge... more The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The following acknowledgement has been missing.

RIVISTA ITALIANA DI PALEONTOLOGIA E STRATIGRAFIA

The palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental data obtained by the study of the Buco del Frate cave ... more The palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental data obtained by the study of the Buco del Frate cave small-mammals indicate that, around 40,000 years ago (MIS3), the eastern part of the province of Brescia, immediately to the west of Lake Garda, was characterised by the presence of open taiga environment and watercourses crossing the plain facing the cave. Specifically, the palaeoclimatic conditions of this part of north-western Italy around 40,000 years ago – compared to climate data for the years 1960-90 measured at Ghedi, 20 km southwest of the Buco del Frate cave – involved average temperatures some 4° C cooler and rainfall some 30% lower. Based on the collected data we show that the western part of the Po Valley, west of Lake Garda, was characterized by a steppe-like environment, not too different from the almost contemporaneous site of Settepolesini di Bondeno (Ferrara), defined as "mammoth steppe". We also note that the western Po Valley, if compared with deposits from ...

Scientific Reports

During the last century, Grotta Romanelli (Southern Italy) has been a reference site for the Euro... more During the last century, Grotta Romanelli (Southern Italy) has been a reference site for the European Late Pleistocene stratigraphy, due to its geomorphological setting and archaeological and palaeontological content. The beginning of the sedimentation inside the cave was attributed to the Last Interglacial (MISs 5e) and the oldest unearthed evidence of human occupation, including remains of hearths, was therefore referred to the Middle Palaeolithic. Recent surveys and excavations produced new U/Th dates, palaeoenvironmental interpretation and a litho-, morpho- and chrono-stratigraphical reassessment, placing the oldest human frequentation of the cave between MIS 9 and MIS 7, therefore embracing Glacial and Interglacial cycles. These new data provide evidence that the sea reached the cave during the Middle Pleistocene and human occupation occurred long before MISs 5e and persisted beyond the Pleistocene- Holocene boundary.

Due to its geographic position and geomorphological configuration, Grotta Romanelli acted as a se... more Due to its geographic position and geomorphological configuration, Grotta Romanelli acted as a sediment trap since at least MIS 5. The so-called ‘terre brune’ sequence is a deposit mainly of eolian origin bearing upper Palaeolithic artefacts and fossil remains of vertebrate fauna; it was deposited during the Glacial-Interglacial transition and the Holocene. Sedimentology and mineralogy of this deposit are investigated. The stratigraphic sequence provides a promising archive within which both human and climatic impacts can be studied

During the last century, Grotta Romanelli (Southern Italy) has been a reference site for the Euro... more During the last century, Grotta Romanelli (Southern Italy) has been a reference site for the European Late Pleistocene stratigraphy, due to its geomorphological setting and archaeological and palaeontological content. The beginning of the sedimentation inside the cave was attributed to MISs 5e and the oldest unearthed evidence of human occupation, including remains of hearths, was therefore referred to the Middle Palaeolithic. Recent surveys and excavations produced new U/Th dates, palaeoenvironmental interpretation and a litho-, morpho- and chrono-stratigraphical reassessment, placing the oldest human frequentation of the cave between MIS 9 and MIS 7, therefore embracing Glacial and Interglacial cycles. These new data provide evidence that the sea reached the cave during the Middle Pleistocene and human occupation occurred long before MISs 5e and persisted beyond the Pleistocene- Holocene boundary.

Historical Biology, 2020

The site of Coste San Giacomo, in the Anagni Basin, is renowned for its mammal fauna of Early Ple... more The site of Coste San Giacomo, in the Anagni Basin, is renowned for its mammal fauna of Early Pleistocene (Gelasian) age, including 32 taxa of small and large mammals. Adding to these, a small amount of remains of amphibians and reptiles was also recovered during recent excavations focused on collecting small vertebrates as well. The analysis of these remains resulted in the identification of a total of at least six different taxa: three anurans (Bufonidae indet., Pelophylax sp., and Rana sp.) and three reptiles (Lacertidae indet., Pseudopus sp., and Natrix sp.). This assemblage is comprised of taxa that are common in the Italian Quaternary, but also presents the first occurrence of the large anguid Pseudopus from the Apennine Peninsula in this period. On the whole, the herpetofauna indicates the presence of humid conditions in CSG at the moment of deposition of the bone bed that yielded the vertebrate remains.

Scientific Reports, 2022

Here, we describe a partial cranium of a large canid dated at 406.5 ± 2.4 ka from the Middle Plei... more Here, we describe a partial cranium of a large canid dated at 406.5 ± 2.4 ka from the Middle Pleistocene of Ponte Galeria (Rome, Italy). The sample represents one of the few Middle Pleistocene remains of a wolf-like canid falling within the timeframe when the Canis mosbachensis–Canis lupus transition occurred, a key moment to understand the spread of the extant wolf (Canis lupus) in Europe. CT-based methods allow studying the outer and inner cranial anatomy (brain and frontal sinuses) of a selected sample of fossil and extant canids. Morphological and biometric results allowed to: (I) ascribe the cranium from Ponte Galeria to an adult Canis lupus, representing the first reliable occurrence of this taxon in Europe; (II) provide the content for a biochronological revision of the Middle Pleistocene record of European wolves.

Biogeographia – The Journal of Integrative Biogeography, 2022

Biogeography and the occurrence of small mammals are usually hard to investigate due to the small... more Biogeography and the occurrence of small mammals are usually hard to investigate due to the small size and secretive habits of these mammals. Available data are particularly insufficient on minor islands and at national borders, where research efforts are usually scarce. Here we briefly updated the knowledge on murid rodents on two remote Italian small islands (Lampedusa and Pantelleria) at the southernmost Italian borders. During summer 2019, house mice and rats were sampled in Lampedusa and Pantelleria and molecular markers were sequenced for species identification. The new sequences of Mus domesticus were also compared with samples from previous works collected in Lampedusa, Pantelleria, and several localities in the Mediterranean basin. Moreover, our analyses provided the first genetic evidence of the occurrence of Rattus norvegicus in Lampedusa. To conclude, R. rattus was confirmed to be present in Pantelleria. The newly collected haplotype of M. domesticus from Pantelleria is similar to those currently Biogeographia 37: a013 Sciandra et al., 2022 2 known for Sicily, whereas the new haplotype from Lampedusa partially diverges from the ones previously described, and clusters with haplotypes from North Africa and the Middle East.

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2022

In this study, Syngramma quinata was newly recorded for Brunei Darussalam. The species is distrib... more In this study, Syngramma quinata was newly recorded for Brunei Darussalam. The species is distributed from Peninsular Malaysia to Fiji but absent in Java and southwestern Indonesia. The record confirms the species' preference for forest and its distribution close to streams and in shady habitats. While its distribution is frequent in the eastern part of the region (Papua and Solomon Islands), the species is rare in Borneo, Sumatra and Sulawesi. Therefore, this new record fills a gap in the distribution and ecology of this species.

The karstic system of Covoli di Velo consists of three principal cavities ("Upper Cave"... more The karstic system of Covoli di Velo consists of three principal cavities ("Upper Cave", "Lower Cave" or "Cave of the bear" and "Covolo dell' Acqua") and of some smaller hollows, situated in the so-called Valle del Covolo, between the villages of Velo Veronese and Selva di Progno, between 860 and 890 m a.s.l. The caves were formed by the water inside the "Grey We then tried to cross examine these results with those of the pollen analysis of three samples taken from different depths of sector B. The results obtained from the pollen, combined with those of the fauna, give us interesting matters of discussion and further ideas on the possible paleo-environment of Covoli di Velo during Late Pleistocene.

Rivista Italiana Di Paleontologia E Stratigrafia, 2011

The small mammals collection described in the present paper has been collected during three field... more The small mammals collection described in the present paper has been collected during three field small excavation at the Upper Pleistocene site of Cava Salnova (Saltrio - VA -). The collection consists of 501 determined remains of small mammals coming from all 17 stratigraphical levels and belonging at least to 26 species. Two 14C datings (AMS) has been made on small mammals bones belonging to the lev. 1b: 1- 34315 ± 200 yr BP; 2- 35101± 250 yr BP. The interpretation of faunal data enables us to propose the following palaeoenvironmental framework: lower levels, lev. b and liv. c, are characterized by a cool weather with a high degree of plant cover. The deposition of lev. e to the lev. g coincided with an important reforestation occurred at the same time of the hottest Wurmian interpleniglacial. In lev. m, n, o, the snow vole, although rare, reappears. This may indicate the beginning of the climatic cooling, which is the prelude to the Last Glacial Maximum.

Rivista Italiana Di Paleontologia E Stratigrafia, 2016

In this study the only one specimen collected and attributed to Sicista cf. subtilis from the Cav... more In this study the only one specimen collected and attributed to Sicista cf. subtilis from the Caverna Generosa has been described: a right mandible with first molar and m/2-m/3 alveoli. The Sicista specimen shows a morphological and morphometrical similarity to Sicista subtilis and it may represent the first record in Italy and the third in the whole Europe of the latter species. The discovery defines advancement in the Sicista paleogeography in the North of Italy and it certainly demonstrates that an important faunal migration during the Last Maximum Glacial involved the Western part of the Po valley, too.

La presenza dell’Uomo di Neandertal e nuovi dati dalla Caverna Generosa (scavi 2002 e 2003)

Frost action and human occupation during the Late Pleistocene in the Italian Southern Alps: micromorphological evidences from the Caverna Generosa cave

Bollettino Della Societa Geologica Italiana, 2021

The Late Pleistocene has been characterised by frequent and intense climatic oscillation, well re... more The Late Pleistocene has been characterised by frequent and intense climatic oscillation, well recorded in the Caverna Generosa cave deposits. In this work, micromorphological analyses have been performed on samples from the cave where the stratigraphy is particularly well exposed and complete, in order to obtain temporal and spatial information on climate- and human-related processes during MIS3 and 4. The older layers (more than 50 ka BP - Before Present - old) record a very cold time interval, where ice did not melt during the warmer season, and with little or no vegetation outside the cave. During this cold stage, probably, humans spent a short period in the cave, using bones to light the fire and, later, cave bears dug their hibernation beds in the innermost room. Subsequently (between 50 ka BP and 40 ka BP) a relatively brief climatic amelioration should have occurred, leading to the onset of ice melting during the summer season. Between 40 ka BP and 30 ka BP, loess deposited ...

Rivista Italiana Di Paleontologia E Stratigrafia, 2006

Morphologic and morphometric data of a lion-like cat skull found in the Zandobbio (Lombardy -Ital... more Morphologic and morphometric data of a lion-like cat skull found in the Zandobbio (Lombardy -Italy) Eemian ossiferous rubble and stored in the Civic Museum of Natural History "E. Caffi" of Bergamo are presented. The skull shows the typical lion morphology and its relatively small dimensions suggest that it belonged to a female individual. Carnassial tooth analysis underlines advanced lion characters already recognized in Italy during the Eemian. According to skull and teeth characters it is possible to ascribe the specimen to the group of Upper Pleistocene lion-like cats Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810). The presence of P. leo spelaea in the Quaternary deposit of Zandobbio has remarkable importance not only locally. In fact, besides being the first report of this great feline at Zandobbio, it is the second report from Lombardy and, the oldest certain P. leo spelaea finding and the oldest complete P. leo spelaea skull known from Italy to date. The advanced P. leo spe...

Hystrix-italian Journal of Mammalogy, 2020

Acknowledgements The author is grateful to Dr. R. Poggiani Keller (scientific director of the exc... more Acknowledgements The author is grateful to Dr. R. Poggiani Keller (scientific director of the excavation) and Prof. D. Lo Vetro (University of Florence) for giving him the opportunity to study this material, and to Prof. E. Crosato (Cultural Association "Amici di Castellaro") for everything that he has done for the study of the Tosina di Monzambano site. Thanks also go to Drs. N. Cappellozza (SAP Società Archeologica), A. Crosato, R. Tremolada and all the students and graduate students who participated in the various excavation campaigns. Special thanks to the Arieti family, owners of the field where the site is located, and to Dr. C. Alexander for English revision of the text. This work and all the excavation field activities were carried out thanks to funding from the Lombardy Region, the Municipality of Monzambano (MN) and private sponsors. I thank Prof.ssa C. Angelone and an anonymous reviewer for the critical reading of the manuscript and fruitful suggestions. Abstract

Rivista Italiana Di Paleontologia E Stratigrafia, 2009

Since 1991, the Caverna Generosa was subject of numerous digging campaigns, principally in two ar... more Since 1991, the Caverna Generosa was subject of numerous digging campaigns, principally in two areas called "Sala Terminale" and "Cunicolo 13-15". Dating of the first 6 stratigrafical levels of the 13 investigated in the "Sala Terminale" gave an age between 50.000 and 38.000 years BP (14C non calibrated dating). In the area of the "Cunicolo 13-15", between meters 13 and 15 from the entrance, seven stratigrafical levels were excavated, and bones coming from layers from II to V were dated between 37.000 and 31.000 years BP ago (14C non calibrated dating). Microvertebrates remains are used to infer paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic information. The microfaunal assemblages of "Sala Terminale" testifies for a climatic improvement, during the period between over 50.000 y BP and 40.000 y BP: from a cold climate and an environment characterised by open vegetation to a wooded areas and milder temperature. This climatic improvement is also ...

Hystrix-italian Journal of Mammalogy, 2015

The Gelasian site of Coste San Giacomo (CSG) (central Italy) provides a unique opportunity to inv... more The Gelasian site of Coste San Giacomo (CSG) (central Italy) provides a unique opportunity to investigate the faunal and environmental changes occurred in Mediterranean Europe during the Early Pleistocene. The finding of both large and small mammal fauna has a great biochronological and palaeoenvironmental value. In this work the description of the small mammal assemblage is presented and discussed in detail for the first time. Twelve taxa, belonging to three orders, have been in fact identified and described (six Rodentia, one Lagomorpha and five Eulipotyphla). In particular, the CSG small mammal assemblage has provided the largest collection in Europe of \emph{Mimomys pliocaenicus} and, for this reason, it can be considered as a reference. Finally, the occurrence of the Desmaninae subfamily is reported for the first time in Italy. Download the complete issue.

During the Plio-Pleistocene the Barbary macaque, Macaca sylvanus Linnaeus, 1758 was widely distri... more During the Plio-Pleistocene the Barbary macaque, Macaca sylvanus Linnaeus, 1758 was widely distributed throughout Europe and North Africa (Szalay and Delson, 1979; Delson, 1980; Rook et al., 2001), and it became extinct in Europe during the Late Pleistocene (Elton and O’Regan, 2014). Nowadays this primate is still present in North Africa and a small population has been reintroduced at Gibraltar (Modolo et al., 2005). The taxonomy of the Plio-Pleistocene European macaques is still debated but many authors agree in considering all the fossils as belonging to the M. sylvanus lineage, while the Pleistocene endemic M. majori Azzaroli, 1946 from Sardinia (Italy) has been considered a distinct valid species (Rook and O’Higgins, 2005). The occurrence of this species is documented from Late Pliocene to Late Pleistocene sites located in Northern and Central Italy. Here we describe unpublished dentognathic remains of Macaca sylvanus from the Middle Pleistocene site of Quecchia Quarry (Botticin...

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2021

Geoheritage, 2019

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The following acknowledge... more The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The following acknowledgement has been missing.

RIVISTA ITALIANA DI PALEONTOLOGIA E STRATIGRAFIA

The palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental data obtained by the study of the Buco del Frate cave ... more The palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental data obtained by the study of the Buco del Frate cave small-mammals indicate that, around 40,000 years ago (MIS3), the eastern part of the province of Brescia, immediately to the west of Lake Garda, was characterised by the presence of open taiga environment and watercourses crossing the plain facing the cave. Specifically, the palaeoclimatic conditions of this part of north-western Italy around 40,000 years ago – compared to climate data for the years 1960-90 measured at Ghedi, 20 km southwest of the Buco del Frate cave – involved average temperatures some 4° C cooler and rainfall some 30% lower. Based on the collected data we show that the western part of the Po Valley, west of Lake Garda, was characterized by a steppe-like environment, not too different from the almost contemporaneous site of Settepolesini di Bondeno (Ferrara), defined as "mammoth steppe". We also note that the western Po Valley, if compared with deposits from ...

Scientific Reports

During the last century, Grotta Romanelli (Southern Italy) has been a reference site for the Euro... more During the last century, Grotta Romanelli (Southern Italy) has been a reference site for the European Late Pleistocene stratigraphy, due to its geomorphological setting and archaeological and palaeontological content. The beginning of the sedimentation inside the cave was attributed to the Last Interglacial (MISs 5e) and the oldest unearthed evidence of human occupation, including remains of hearths, was therefore referred to the Middle Palaeolithic. Recent surveys and excavations produced new U/Th dates, palaeoenvironmental interpretation and a litho-, morpho- and chrono-stratigraphical reassessment, placing the oldest human frequentation of the cave between MIS 9 and MIS 7, therefore embracing Glacial and Interglacial cycles. These new data provide evidence that the sea reached the cave during the Middle Pleistocene and human occupation occurred long before MISs 5e and persisted beyond the Pleistocene- Holocene boundary.

Due to its geographic position and geomorphological configuration, Grotta Romanelli acted as a se... more Due to its geographic position and geomorphological configuration, Grotta Romanelli acted as a sediment trap since at least MIS 5. The so-called ‘terre brune’ sequence is a deposit mainly of eolian origin bearing upper Palaeolithic artefacts and fossil remains of vertebrate fauna; it was deposited during the Glacial-Interglacial transition and the Holocene. Sedimentology and mineralogy of this deposit are investigated. The stratigraphic sequence provides a promising archive within which both human and climatic impacts can be studied

During the last century, Grotta Romanelli (Southern Italy) has been a reference site for the Euro... more During the last century, Grotta Romanelli (Southern Italy) has been a reference site for the European Late Pleistocene stratigraphy, due to its geomorphological setting and archaeological and palaeontological content. The beginning of the sedimentation inside the cave was attributed to MISs 5e and the oldest unearthed evidence of human occupation, including remains of hearths, was therefore referred to the Middle Palaeolithic. Recent surveys and excavations produced new U/Th dates, palaeoenvironmental interpretation and a litho-, morpho- and chrono-stratigraphical reassessment, placing the oldest human frequentation of the cave between MIS 9 and MIS 7, therefore embracing Glacial and Interglacial cycles. These new data provide evidence that the sea reached the cave during the Middle Pleistocene and human occupation occurred long before MISs 5e and persisted beyond the Pleistocene- Holocene boundary.

Historical Biology, 2020

The site of Coste San Giacomo, in the Anagni Basin, is renowned for its mammal fauna of Early Ple... more The site of Coste San Giacomo, in the Anagni Basin, is renowned for its mammal fauna of Early Pleistocene (Gelasian) age, including 32 taxa of small and large mammals. Adding to these, a small amount of remains of amphibians and reptiles was also recovered during recent excavations focused on collecting small vertebrates as well. The analysis of these remains resulted in the identification of a total of at least six different taxa: three anurans (Bufonidae indet., Pelophylax sp., and Rana sp.) and three reptiles (Lacertidae indet., Pseudopus sp., and Natrix sp.). This assemblage is comprised of taxa that are common in the Italian Quaternary, but also presents the first occurrence of the large anguid Pseudopus from the Apennine Peninsula in this period. On the whole, the herpetofauna indicates the presence of humid conditions in CSG at the moment of deposition of the bone bed that yielded the vertebrate remains.

Scientific Reports, 2022

Here, we describe a partial cranium of a large canid dated at 406.5 ± 2.4 ka from the Middle Plei... more Here, we describe a partial cranium of a large canid dated at 406.5 ± 2.4 ka from the Middle Pleistocene of Ponte Galeria (Rome, Italy). The sample represents one of the few Middle Pleistocene remains of a wolf-like canid falling within the timeframe when the Canis mosbachensis–Canis lupus transition occurred, a key moment to understand the spread of the extant wolf (Canis lupus) in Europe. CT-based methods allow studying the outer and inner cranial anatomy (brain and frontal sinuses) of a selected sample of fossil and extant canids. Morphological and biometric results allowed to: (I) ascribe the cranium from Ponte Galeria to an adult Canis lupus, representing the first reliable occurrence of this taxon in Europe; (II) provide the content for a biochronological revision of the Middle Pleistocene record of European wolves.

Biogeographia – The Journal of Integrative Biogeography, 2022

Biogeography and the occurrence of small mammals are usually hard to investigate due to the small... more Biogeography and the occurrence of small mammals are usually hard to investigate due to the small size and secretive habits of these mammals. Available data are particularly insufficient on minor islands and at national borders, where research efforts are usually scarce. Here we briefly updated the knowledge on murid rodents on two remote Italian small islands (Lampedusa and Pantelleria) at the southernmost Italian borders. During summer 2019, house mice and rats were sampled in Lampedusa and Pantelleria and molecular markers were sequenced for species identification. The new sequences of Mus domesticus were also compared with samples from previous works collected in Lampedusa, Pantelleria, and several localities in the Mediterranean basin. Moreover, our analyses provided the first genetic evidence of the occurrence of Rattus norvegicus in Lampedusa. To conclude, R. rattus was confirmed to be present in Pantelleria. The newly collected haplotype of M. domesticus from Pantelleria is similar to those currently Biogeographia 37: a013 Sciandra et al., 2022 2 known for Sicily, whereas the new haplotype from Lampedusa partially diverges from the ones previously described, and clusters with haplotypes from North Africa and the Middle East.

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2022

In this study, Syngramma quinata was newly recorded for Brunei Darussalam. The species is distrib... more In this study, Syngramma quinata was newly recorded for Brunei Darussalam. The species is distributed from Peninsular Malaysia to Fiji but absent in Java and southwestern Indonesia. The record confirms the species' preference for forest and its distribution close to streams and in shady habitats. While its distribution is frequent in the eastern part of the region (Papua and Solomon Islands), the species is rare in Borneo, Sumatra and Sulawesi. Therefore, this new record fills a gap in the distribution and ecology of this species.

The karstic system of Covoli di Velo consists of three principal cavities ("Upper Cave"... more The karstic system of Covoli di Velo consists of three principal cavities ("Upper Cave", "Lower Cave" or "Cave of the bear" and "Covolo dell' Acqua") and of some smaller hollows, situated in the so-called Valle del Covolo, between the villages of Velo Veronese and Selva di Progno, between 860 and 890 m a.s.l. The caves were formed by the water inside the "Grey We then tried to cross examine these results with those of the pollen analysis of three samples taken from different depths of sector B. The results obtained from the pollen, combined with those of the fauna, give us interesting matters of discussion and further ideas on the possible paleo-environment of Covoli di Velo during Late Pleistocene.

Rivista Italiana Di Paleontologia E Stratigrafia, 2011

The small mammals collection described in the present paper has been collected during three field... more The small mammals collection described in the present paper has been collected during three field small excavation at the Upper Pleistocene site of Cava Salnova (Saltrio - VA -). The collection consists of 501 determined remains of small mammals coming from all 17 stratigraphical levels and belonging at least to 26 species. Two 14C datings (AMS) has been made on small mammals bones belonging to the lev. 1b: 1- 34315 ± 200 yr BP; 2- 35101± 250 yr BP. The interpretation of faunal data enables us to propose the following palaeoenvironmental framework: lower levels, lev. b and liv. c, are characterized by a cool weather with a high degree of plant cover. The deposition of lev. e to the lev. g coincided with an important reforestation occurred at the same time of the hottest Wurmian interpleniglacial. In lev. m, n, o, the snow vole, although rare, reappears. This may indicate the beginning of the climatic cooling, which is the prelude to the Last Glacial Maximum.

Rivista Italiana Di Paleontologia E Stratigrafia, 2016

In this study the only one specimen collected and attributed to Sicista cf. subtilis from the Cav... more In this study the only one specimen collected and attributed to Sicista cf. subtilis from the Caverna Generosa has been described: a right mandible with first molar and m/2-m/3 alveoli. The Sicista specimen shows a morphological and morphometrical similarity to Sicista subtilis and it may represent the first record in Italy and the third in the whole Europe of the latter species. The discovery defines advancement in the Sicista paleogeography in the North of Italy and it certainly demonstrates that an important faunal migration during the Last Maximum Glacial involved the Western part of the Po valley, too.

La presenza dell’Uomo di Neandertal e nuovi dati dalla Caverna Generosa (scavi 2002 e 2003)

Frost action and human occupation during the Late Pleistocene in the Italian Southern Alps: micromorphological evidences from the Caverna Generosa cave

Bollettino Della Societa Geologica Italiana, 2021

The Late Pleistocene has been characterised by frequent and intense climatic oscillation, well re... more The Late Pleistocene has been characterised by frequent and intense climatic oscillation, well recorded in the Caverna Generosa cave deposits. In this work, micromorphological analyses have been performed on samples from the cave where the stratigraphy is particularly well exposed and complete, in order to obtain temporal and spatial information on climate- and human-related processes during MIS3 and 4. The older layers (more than 50 ka BP - Before Present - old) record a very cold time interval, where ice did not melt during the warmer season, and with little or no vegetation outside the cave. During this cold stage, probably, humans spent a short period in the cave, using bones to light the fire and, later, cave bears dug their hibernation beds in the innermost room. Subsequently (between 50 ka BP and 40 ka BP) a relatively brief climatic amelioration should have occurred, leading to the onset of ice melting during the summer season. Between 40 ka BP and 30 ka BP, loess deposited ...

Rivista Italiana Di Paleontologia E Stratigrafia, 2006

Morphologic and morphometric data of a lion-like cat skull found in the Zandobbio (Lombardy -Ital... more Morphologic and morphometric data of a lion-like cat skull found in the Zandobbio (Lombardy -Italy) Eemian ossiferous rubble and stored in the Civic Museum of Natural History "E. Caffi" of Bergamo are presented. The skull shows the typical lion morphology and its relatively small dimensions suggest that it belonged to a female individual. Carnassial tooth analysis underlines advanced lion characters already recognized in Italy during the Eemian. According to skull and teeth characters it is possible to ascribe the specimen to the group of Upper Pleistocene lion-like cats Panthera leo spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810). The presence of P. leo spelaea in the Quaternary deposit of Zandobbio has remarkable importance not only locally. In fact, besides being the first report of this great feline at Zandobbio, it is the second report from Lombardy and, the oldest certain P. leo spelaea finding and the oldest complete P. leo spelaea skull known from Italy to date. The advanced P. leo spe...

Hystrix-italian Journal of Mammalogy, 2020

Acknowledgements The author is grateful to Dr. R. Poggiani Keller (scientific director of the exc... more Acknowledgements The author is grateful to Dr. R. Poggiani Keller (scientific director of the excavation) and Prof. D. Lo Vetro (University of Florence) for giving him the opportunity to study this material, and to Prof. E. Crosato (Cultural Association "Amici di Castellaro") for everything that he has done for the study of the Tosina di Monzambano site. Thanks also go to Drs. N. Cappellozza (SAP Società Archeologica), A. Crosato, R. Tremolada and all the students and graduate students who participated in the various excavation campaigns. Special thanks to the Arieti family, owners of the field where the site is located, and to Dr. C. Alexander for English revision of the text. This work and all the excavation field activities were carried out thanks to funding from the Lombardy Region, the Municipality of Monzambano (MN) and private sponsors. I thank Prof.ssa C. Angelone and an anonymous reviewer for the critical reading of the manuscript and fruitful suggestions. Abstract

Rivista Italiana Di Paleontologia E Stratigrafia, 2009

Since 1991, the Caverna Generosa was subject of numerous digging campaigns, principally in two ar... more Since 1991, the Caverna Generosa was subject of numerous digging campaigns, principally in two areas called "Sala Terminale" and "Cunicolo 13-15". Dating of the first 6 stratigrafical levels of the 13 investigated in the "Sala Terminale" gave an age between 50.000 and 38.000 years BP (14C non calibrated dating). In the area of the "Cunicolo 13-15", between meters 13 and 15 from the entrance, seven stratigrafical levels were excavated, and bones coming from layers from II to V were dated between 37.000 and 31.000 years BP ago (14C non calibrated dating). Microvertebrates remains are used to infer paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic information. The microfaunal assemblages of "Sala Terminale" testifies for a climatic improvement, during the period between over 50.000 y BP and 40.000 y BP: from a cold climate and an environment characterised by open vegetation to a wooded areas and milder temperature. This climatic improvement is also ...

Hystrix-italian Journal of Mammalogy, 2015

The Gelasian site of Coste San Giacomo (CSG) (central Italy) provides a unique opportunity to inv... more The Gelasian site of Coste San Giacomo (CSG) (central Italy) provides a unique opportunity to investigate the faunal and environmental changes occurred in Mediterranean Europe during the Early Pleistocene. The finding of both large and small mammal fauna has a great biochronological and palaeoenvironmental value. In this work the description of the small mammal assemblage is presented and discussed in detail for the first time. Twelve taxa, belonging to three orders, have been in fact identified and described (six Rodentia, one Lagomorpha and five Eulipotyphla). In particular, the CSG small mammal assemblage has provided the largest collection in Europe of \emph{Mimomys pliocaenicus} and, for this reason, it can be considered as a reference. Finally, the occurrence of the Desmaninae subfamily is reported for the first time in Italy. Download the complete issue.

During the Plio-Pleistocene the Barbary macaque, Macaca sylvanus Linnaeus, 1758 was widely distri... more During the Plio-Pleistocene the Barbary macaque, Macaca sylvanus Linnaeus, 1758 was widely distributed throughout Europe and North Africa (Szalay and Delson, 1979; Delson, 1980; Rook et al., 2001), and it became extinct in Europe during the Late Pleistocene (Elton and O’Regan, 2014). Nowadays this primate is still present in North Africa and a small population has been reintroduced at Gibraltar (Modolo et al., 2005). The taxonomy of the Plio-Pleistocene European macaques is still debated but many authors agree in considering all the fossils as belonging to the M. sylvanus lineage, while the Pleistocene endemic M. majori Azzaroli, 1946 from Sardinia (Italy) has been considered a distinct valid species (Rook and O’Higgins, 2005). The occurrence of this species is documented from Late Pliocene to Late Pleistocene sites located in Northern and Central Italy. Here we describe unpublished dentognathic remains of Macaca sylvanus from the Middle Pleistocene site of Quecchia Quarry (Botticin...