During the latest Messinian, significant mammal events occurred in the northern sectors of the proto-Mediterranean. Both in western and eastern Europe, taxa of African and Asian origin occupied the southernmost areas of the continent in particular during and immediately before the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC: 6.2-5.3 Ma). The Italian record of Messinian non-endemic mammals was hitherto restricted to very few localities, most of which located in central Italy. This permitted only a partial view of the biogeographical relationships that existed between Italy and other regions of Europe. Two uppermost Messinian vertebrate fossil-bearing localities were recently discovered in the Tertiary Piedmont Basin (TPB), NW Italy: Moncucco Torinese and Verduno. The deposits correlate stratigraphically with the post-evaporitic phase of the MSC and can therefore be dated to between 5.55 and 5.33 Ma. Both sites have yielded rich and diverse faunas, some of which most significant paleobiogeografically. Some are ubiquitous and are reported from both eastern and western sectors of the Mediterranean. These include the murids Paraethomys meini and Apodemus gudrunae, the rhinocerotid Dihoplus, the hipparionin equid Cremohipparion, the antilopine bovid Gazella, and the machairodontine felid Amphimachairodus. This suggests that latest Turolian faunal communities were quite uniformly distributed throughout southern Europe. In contrast, other taxa suggest a more complex scenario. At Verduno, remains of Paracamelus cf. aguirrei indicate that, during the latest Messinian, large camelids were spread to northernmost Mediterranean areas. This datum has significant biogeographical implications, because camelids were previously known only from uppermost Messinian deposits of Spain and were thus thought to enter Europe from northern Africa. The occurrence of Paracamelus in Piedmont, in contrast, suggests its possible arrival from Asia, and, in fact, the taxon is commonly reported from the lower Pontian of eastern Europe. At Moncucco, the colobine monkey Mesopithecus is associated with the papionin cercopithecine Macaca, of African origin. This datum shows that macaques dispersed into the Eurasian continent during the latest Messinian, as previously suggested by the roughly contemporaneous occurrence of the genus Macaca in both Asia and Spain. The small mammal community includes both eastern European immigrants, such as Occitanomys brailloni and Micromys bendai, and western immigrants, as the cricetine Apocricetus. Relationships between the Piedmont area and central Italy are implied by the oiocerin antelope ?Paraoioceros occidentalis, the canid Eucyon monticinensis, and the small murid Centralomys benericettii. The onset of the MSC likely made geographical and climate barriers less effective in limiting faunal exchanges. The ensuing widespread distribution of cosmopolitan species may account for the faunal uniformity observed in the peri-Mediterranean area at the end of the Messinian. Owing to its pivotal location in Europe, NW Italy played a crucial paleobiogeographical role in Europe at the end of the Messinian. In particular, the Piedmont area was at a key-crossroads on the route between eastern and western Mediterranean Europe, as well as towards the Apennine sectors of the rising Italian peninsula.

Paleobiogeographical implications of fossil mammals from Piedmont (NW Italy) during the latest Messinian / S. Colombero; D.M. Alba; G. Carnevale; M. Delfino; P. Mazza; G. Pavia; M. Pavia; G. Repetto. - STAMPA. - (2013), pp. 136-136. (Intervento presentato al convegno ratethys and Black Sea tenutosi a Istanbul nel 8-12 settembre 2013).

Paleobiogeographical implications of fossil mammals from Piedmont (NW Italy) during the latest Messinian.

MAZZA, PAUL;
2013

Abstract

During the latest Messinian, significant mammal events occurred in the northern sectors of the proto-Mediterranean. Both in western and eastern Europe, taxa of African and Asian origin occupied the southernmost areas of the continent in particular during and immediately before the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC: 6.2-5.3 Ma). The Italian record of Messinian non-endemic mammals was hitherto restricted to very few localities, most of which located in central Italy. This permitted only a partial view of the biogeographical relationships that existed between Italy and other regions of Europe. Two uppermost Messinian vertebrate fossil-bearing localities were recently discovered in the Tertiary Piedmont Basin (TPB), NW Italy: Moncucco Torinese and Verduno. The deposits correlate stratigraphically with the post-evaporitic phase of the MSC and can therefore be dated to between 5.55 and 5.33 Ma. Both sites have yielded rich and diverse faunas, some of which most significant paleobiogeografically. Some are ubiquitous and are reported from both eastern and western sectors of the Mediterranean. These include the murids Paraethomys meini and Apodemus gudrunae, the rhinocerotid Dihoplus, the hipparionin equid Cremohipparion, the antilopine bovid Gazella, and the machairodontine felid Amphimachairodus. This suggests that latest Turolian faunal communities were quite uniformly distributed throughout southern Europe. In contrast, other taxa suggest a more complex scenario. At Verduno, remains of Paracamelus cf. aguirrei indicate that, during the latest Messinian, large camelids were spread to northernmost Mediterranean areas. This datum has significant biogeographical implications, because camelids were previously known only from uppermost Messinian deposits of Spain and were thus thought to enter Europe from northern Africa. The occurrence of Paracamelus in Piedmont, in contrast, suggests its possible arrival from Asia, and, in fact, the taxon is commonly reported from the lower Pontian of eastern Europe. At Moncucco, the colobine monkey Mesopithecus is associated with the papionin cercopithecine Macaca, of African origin. This datum shows that macaques dispersed into the Eurasian continent during the latest Messinian, as previously suggested by the roughly contemporaneous occurrence of the genus Macaca in both Asia and Spain. The small mammal community includes both eastern European immigrants, such as Occitanomys brailloni and Micromys bendai, and western immigrants, as the cricetine Apocricetus. Relationships between the Piedmont area and central Italy are implied by the oiocerin antelope ?Paraoioceros occidentalis, the canid Eucyon monticinensis, and the small murid Centralomys benericettii. The onset of the MSC likely made geographical and climate barriers less effective in limiting faunal exchanges. The ensuing widespread distribution of cosmopolitan species may account for the faunal uniformity observed in the peri-Mediterranean area at the end of the Messinian. Owing to its pivotal location in Europe, NW Italy played a crucial paleobiogeographical role in Europe at the end of the Messinian. In particular, the Piedmont area was at a key-crossroads on the route between eastern and western Mediterranean Europe, as well as towards the Apennine sectors of the rising Italian peninsula.
2013
RCMNS 14th Congress Neogene to Quaternary Geological Evolution of Mediterranean, Paratethys and Black Sea Book of Abstracts
ratethys and Black Sea
Istanbul
S. Colombero; D.M. Alba; G. Carnevale; M. Delfino; P. Mazza; G. Pavia; M. Pavia; G. Repetto
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