Pietrafitta, Perugia: Early/Lower Pleistocene, Italy

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
unclassified
Graminaceae indet.
Borsodia sp.
Kotsakis et al. 2003
Mammalia - Primates - Cercopithecidae
Macaca florentina Cocchi 1872
Macaca sylvana-florentina
Mammalia - Lagomorpha - Leporidae
Oryctolagus etruscus
    = Oryctolagus lacosti
Kotsakis et al. 2003
Mammalia - Rodentia - Cricetidae
Microtus (Allophaiomys) pliocaenicus (Kormos 1932)
    = Microtus (Allophaiomys) cf. ruffoi
Gentili et al. 1996
Microtus (Allophaiomys) chalinei
Mimomys pusillus
Mammalia - Rodentia - Castoridae
Castor plicidens Major 1874
    = Castor fiber Linnaeus 1758
Kotsakis et al. 2003
Mammalia - Carnivora - Mustelidae
Pannonictis nestii Martelli 1906
Mammalia - Carnivora - Ursidae
Ursus etruscus Cuvier 1823
Mammalia - Carnivora - Felidae
Panthera gombaszoegensis (Kretzoi 1938)
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Equidae
Equus sp. Linnaeus 1758
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Stephanorhinus cf. hundsheimensis (Toula 1902)
Mammalia - Cervidae
Megaloceros obscurus
Pseudodama farnetensis
synonym of Metacervocerus
Mammalia - Bovidae
Leptobos aff. vallisarni
Mammalia - Talpidae
Talpa sp. Linnaeus 1758
not listed in Kotsakis et al. 2003.
Mammalia - Soricidae
Sorex sp. Linnaeus 1758
small species.
    = Sorex cf. minutus Brown 1908
Kotsakis et al. 2003
synonym of Sorex minutus
Mammalia - Proboscidea - Elephantidae
Mammuthus meridionalis (Nesti 1825)
Mammuthus meridionalis vestinus. Some skeletons.
Reptilia - Anseriformes - Anatidae
Somateria sp. Leach 1819
Angiospermae - Poales - Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae indet. Jussieu 1789
see common names

Geography
Country:Italy
Coordinates: 43.0° North, 12.3° East (view map)
Paleocoordinates:42.9° North, 12.2° East
Basis of coordinate:based on nearby landmark
Time
Period:Quaternary Epoch:Pleistocene
10 m.y. bin:Cenozoic 6
Key time interval:Early/Lower Pleistocene
Age range of interval:2.58000 - 0.77400 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Regional section:Tavernelle
Stratigraphy comments: Early Pleistocene, Early Biharian, Farneta faunal unit, Latest Villafranchian. There are three separate lignite mine workings, but the levels are thought to be the roughly the same date based on the macro- and micromammalian remains.
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology: lignite
Environment:mire/swamp
Geology comments: swampy environment.
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:bone collector
Size of fossils:macrofossils,mesofossils
Articulated whole bodies:some
Feeding/predation traces:gastric dissolution
Collection methods and comments
Collection excludes:some microfossils
Collection methods:selective quarrying,field collection
Reason for describing collection:taxonomic analysis
Collection method comments: The specimens were collcetd from an active lignite mine, as and when they were found. The material is stored in a small museum on the site.
Taxonomic list comments:The dominance of arvicolids nay suggest an environment chracaterised locally by open areas with a cold climate. This hypothesis is further strengthened by the presence of the giant deer Megaceroides obscurus. Mimomys savini has been reported previously, but this is thought to have been the mis-identification of a large Mimomys chalinei upper M1.
Metadata
Database number:42867
Authorizer:A. Turner Enterer:H. O'Regan
Modifier:H. O'Regan Research group:PACED
Created:2004-08-06 06:50:21 Last modified:2004-08-06 10:58:05
Access level:the public Released:2004-08-06 06:50:21
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:
11380. S. Gentili, L. Abbazzi, F. Masini, P. Ambrosetti, P. Argenti and D. Torre. 1996. Voles from the Early Pleistocene of Pietrafitta (central Italy, Perugia). Acta Zoologica Cracovensia 39(1):185-199 [A. Turner/H. O'Regan/H. O'Regan]

Secondary references:

13182PACED T. Kotsakis, L. Abbazzi, C. Angelone, P. Argenti, G. Barisone, F. Fanfari, F. Marcolini and F. Masini. 2003. Plio-Pleistocene biogeography of Italian mainland micromammals. Deinsea 10:313-342 [A. Turner/H. O'Regan/H. O'Regan]