Neogene Park – Vertebrate Migration in the Mediterranean and Paratethys

The RCMNS Interim Colloquium ‘‘Neogene Park – Vertebrate Migration in the Mediterranean and Paratethys’’ was held in Scontrone (Abruzzo, Italy) on March 1–3, 2011. Its target was analyzing the faunal interactions between the Neogene terrestrial and marine domains in the Mediterranean and Paratethys. These areas are ideal to address issues related to migration and evolutionary mechanisms. An exceptional laboratory for the widest possible paleobiological and biological inquiry, where hypotheses and models developed not only by palaeontologists, but also by biologists, zoologists, eco-ethologists, and geneticists can be fruitfully tested. During the Neogene, the Scontrone territory was at the crossroads between central-eastern Europe and western Asia. It occupied a unique key position. The central Mediterranean was the pathway for many migrating life forms. It was where many faunal bioprovinces interacted. As the wheel of time turned, and ages came and passed, many memories were left behind. The dynamic interplay of sea level change, tectonics, sedimentation, and biological evolution created a tapestry blessed with the extraordinary geological and paleontological witnesses.