Before and after the earliest Homo dispersal in Europe: Evidence from the early Pleistocene sites of the Italian Peninsula

Fossil mammal assemblages found in various localities of the Italian Peninsula provide significant information to create a detailed biochronological framework for the middle–late Villafranchian and Epivillafranchian of Europe and to reconstruct the evolution of early Pleistocene terrestrial ecosystems, when the earliest dispersal of Homo in Europe occurred. Here, we provide an updated critical overview on three Italian sites that in the last few years have provided the most interesting information on this crucial time interval: Coste San Giacomo (Latium; about 2.1 million years, Ma), Pantalla (Umbria; about 1.9–1.7 Ma), and Pirro Nord (Apulia; about 1.6–1.3 Ma).