Volterra (Pliocene of Italy)

Also known as Case Bianche/Volpaie Estate, Monte Voltraio hill, La Rocca

Where: Tuscany, Italy (43.4° N, 10.9° E: paleocoordinates 43.3° N, 10.8° E)

• coordinate estimated from map

When: Piacenzian (3.6 - 2.6 Ma)

• Globorotalia crassaformis crassaformis subzone of Iccarino & Salvatorini (1982), listed as "middle Pliocene" by Bianucci and Landini (1999), approximately between 3Ma and 2.6Ma

Environment/lithology: coastal; gray, blue claystone and yellow sandstone

• gray claystones

Size class: macrofossils

Preservation: original phosphate

Primary reference: G. Pilleri and O. Pilleri. 1982. Catalogue of the fossil odontocetes (Cetaca) in the Bologna Giovanni Capellini Museum of Palaeontology with description of a new species of Hoplocetus (Physeteridae). Memorie di Scienceze Geologische, Memoire degli Istituti de Geologia e Minerologia dell'universita di Padova 35:293-317 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen/M. Uhen]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 48652: authorized by Mark Uhen, entered by Mark Uhen on 25.03.2005

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Mammalia
 Sirenia - Dugongidae
Metaxytherium sp.3 de Christol 1840 dugong
 Cetacea - Ziphiidae
Mesoplodon sp.1, "Dioplodon lawley n. sp." = Mesoplodon lawleyi5, "Dioplodon danconae n. sp." = Mesoplodon danconae8
Mesoplodon sp.1 Gervais 1850 beaked whale
"Dioplodon lawley n. sp." = Mesoplodon lawleyi5 Capellini 1885 beaked whale
"Dioplodon danconae n. sp." = Mesoplodon danconae8 Lawley 1876 beaked whale
originall listed as Dioplodon D'Anconae
 Cetacea - Delphinidae
Delphinidae indet.4 Gray 1821 dolphin
Hemisyntrachelus sp.7 Brandt 1873 dolphin
DEi4-1
"Tursiops cortesii" = Hemisyntrachelus cortesii9 Fischer 1829 dolphin
Globicephala etruriae n. sp.9 Pilleri 1987 pilot whale
Etruridelphis cf. giulii7 Lawley 1876 dolphin
DEi4-1
 Cetacea - Kogiidae
Kogia pusilla2 Pilleri 1987 pygmy sperm whale
 Cetacea - Physeteridae
Physeter macrocephalus9 Linnaeus 1758 sperm whale
Physeter cf. macrocephalus9 Linnaeus 1758 sperm whale
 Cetacea -
Mysticeti indet.3 Cope 1891 whale
 Cetacea - Balaenidae
Balaena sp.3 Linnaeus 1758 bowhead whale
Reptilia
 Testudines - Cheloniidae
Cheloniidae indet.6 Bonaparte 1832 sea turtle