Cisterna Quarry (Miocene of Italy)

Also known as Cava Cisterna

Where: Apulia, Italy (40.3° N, 18.2° E: paleocoordinates 40.0° N, 17.9° E)

• coordinate based on political unit

When: Pietra Leccese Formation, Tortonian (11.6 - 7.2 Ma)

• Cisterna quarry is 2 m below ground level; early Tortonian (Late Miocene) age, about 8.14-10.5; Upper portion of “Pietra leccese” Formation (Mazzei, 1994)

Environment/lithology: transition zone or lower shoreface; lithified, glauconitic, phosphatic lime mudstone

• Pietra leccese is "Miocene microfossil bearing biomicrite of varying phosphate and glauconite content." Age of the Pietra Leccese Formation ranges in age from Langhian to Serravalian to Tortonian. tropical/subtropical, depth likely changed over time

Size classes: macrofossils, microfossils

Preservation: original phosphate

Collection methods: salvage, quarrying,

• Museum of "Gruppo Naturalisti Salentini," Lecce, Italy

Primary reference: G. Bianucci, W. Landini, and A. Varola. 1992. Messapicetus longirostris, a new genus and species of Ziphiidae (Cetacea) from the late Miocene of "Pietra leccese" (Apulia, Italy). Bollettino della Societa Paleontologica Italiana 31(2):261-264 [M. Uhen/N. Pyenson/M. Uhen]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 45503: authorized by Mark Uhen, entered by Nick Pyenson on 26.10.2004, edited by Mark Uhen

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Foraminifera
 Globigerinoidea - Globorotaliidae
"Globorotalia acostaensis" = Neogloboquadrina acostaensis4
"Globorotalia acostaensis" = Neogloboquadrina acostaensis4 Blow 1959
 Globigerinoidea - Globigerinidae
Globigerinoides extremus4 Bolli and Bermudez 1965
Mammalia
 Cetacea - Ziphiidae
Messapicetus longirostris n. gen. n. sp. Bianucci et al. 1992 beaked whale
 Cetacea -
Physeteroidea indet.6 Gray 1868 toothed whale
MSNUP I-17076
Zygophyseter varolai n. gen. n. sp.1 Bianucci and Landini 2006 toothed whale
 Cetacea - Balaenidae
Balaenidae indet.3 Gray 1821 right whale
 Cetacea - Eschrichtiidae
Archaeschrichtius ruggieroi n. gen. n. sp.4 Bisconti and Varola 2006 gray whale
 Sirenia - Dugongidae
Metaxytherium medium2 Desmarest 1822 dugong
Actinopteri
 Istiophoriformes - Istiophoridae
Makaira cf. nigricans5 Lacépède 1802