Francesco Sciuto

Enhanced biodiversity in the deep: Early Pleistocene coral communities from southern Italy

The Early Pleistocene fault plane of Furnari, that outcrops in northeastern Sicily (southern Italy), provided a primary hard substrate for the settling and growth of large coral colonies. Even though the corals did not form frameworks, they influenced the composition and distribution of the benthic communities. Corals and associated fauna produced organogenic debris, which was deposited along the fault scarp, within its fractures or at its base.

New faunistic data on the Pleistocene environmental evolution of the south-western edge of the Hyblean Plateau (SE Sicily)

Faunistic associations of the Lower Pleistocene sediments, out-cropping at Cartiera Molino along the true right bank of the Ippari River (Vittoria, SE Sicily), have been investigated. This study integrates data obtained from the analysis of ostracods, foraminifers, bryozoans and serpulids found within a six metre thick sedimentary section. This multiproxy approach allowed us to reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental evolution of this south-western sector of the Hyblean Plateau (Comiso-Vittoria area) from fluvially-influenced shallow marine settings, recorded in the lower portion of the succession, to progressively shallower, transitional and brackish environments, testified in mid levels, up to freshwater environments at the top of the section.

Bathyal ostracods from the Santa Maria di Leuca deep–water coral province (northern Ionian Sea)

Living and dead deep-water ostracods from different sites and habitats of the Cold Water Coral Province off Santa Maria di Leuca have been investigated. A total of 42 ostracod taxa were determined, 34 of which at species level and 8 at genus level. The living associations comprise only two species: Bairdoppilata conformis and Bythocypris obtusata. The same species form dead associations together with Henryhowella ex H. hirta group, Macropyxis adriatica, Bythocypris bosquetiana, Pseudocythere caudata, Bathycythere vanstraateni and Cytheropteron testudo. The analysis of dead assemblages, which includes species such as Bathycythere vanstraateni, Cytheropteron testudo, and Bythocythere mylaensis taxa no longer thriving in the Recent Mediterranean Sea allowed us to determine that an old component of the ostracod assemblages of the “Santa Maria di Leuca Cold Water Coral Province” seemingly lived during the last cold period of the Late Pleistocene or its transition to the Holocene. Furthermore, the high species richness and specimen abundance, recorded in some samples, might be related to a local increase in the availability of trophic resources at the bottom surface related to the general circulation and to the presence of deep coral bioconstructions. The presence of a few carapaces of species with shallower distributions seems related to post mortem displacement events. Francesco Sciuto. University of Catania. Palaeoecological Research Group. Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Corso Italia, 57. 95129 Catania. fsciuto@unict.it Antonietta Rosso. University of Catania. Palaeoecological Research Group. Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Corso Italia, 57. 95129 Catania.rosso@unict.it

Palaeoenviromental and palaeogeographical traits on deep-water ostracod assemblages from the Lower Pleistocene sediments along the Ionian side of Mount Etna (Sicily, Italy)

The ostracod associations of the Lower Pleistocene sedimentary succession cropping out at Serra San Biagio (Catania, Sicily NE) have been investigated. The ostracod fauna from nine samples is poorly diversified but well-preserved: A total of forty taxa of ostracods have been identified, thirty- three at specific level and seven at genus level or doubtful species. Thirty species are considered as constituents of the in situ original assemblages. The associations consist almost exclusively of bathyal taxa such as Bythocypris obtusata (SARS), Anchistrocheles antemacella MADDOCKS, Henryhowella ex H. hirta (COSTA) group, Quasibuntonia radiatopora (SEGUENZA), Retibythere (Bathybythere) scaberrima (BRADY) and Bathycythere vansraateni SISSINGH. Also the Krithe group is well-represented with Krithe compressa (SEGUENZA) and K. pernoides (BORNEMANN). Almost all species, some, particularly interesting from the palaeoecological and palaeogeographical point of view, have been here described, illustrated and commented on, including a species belonging to the genus Cytherella JONES, 1849, found in all samples of the section, which is here proposed as new.

Description of two new species of ostracods from the Strait of Messina (central Mediterranean)

ABSTRACT More than 100 years after the studies of G. Seguenza, sediment samples from the Strait of Messina (central Mediterranean) were examined in order to study their ostracod faunas. Two new species, Anchistrocheles seguenzai n. sp. and Phlyctocythere sicula n. sp., were found, both in thanatocoenoses from the Bathyal zone, at a depth of 545 m. Anchistrocheles seguenzai n. sp. is distinguishable from A. tenera (Breman, 1975), the only living species of the genus in Recent Mediterranean, and from the other species of the genus because of the more reniform-subquadrangular outline of its carapace and the different height/length ratio values. In the same way, Phlyctocythere sicula n. sp. can be distinguished from P. pellucida (Müller, 1894) the only living species of the genus in Recent Mediterranean, because of its more rounded outline, less marked caudal process which is more obtuse and more shifted to the median side of the posterior end, the inflated postero-ventral area, the more acute anterior margin and the narrower marginal zone and vestibula. The stratigraphic and geographic distribution of some species of both genera is indicated.

Bertorsonidra n. gen. (Bryozoa, Cheilostomata) for Tremopora prenanti Gautier, 1955, a rare species from the Mediterranean

ABSTRACT The genus Bertorsonidra n. gen. is here proposed for Tremopora prenanti Gautier, 1955, a cheilostome bryozoan species from the Mediterranean area. The new description and first SEM illustration is mostly based on living material collected from infralittoral (17–19 m) bottoms off W Sicily and fossil specimens from lower Pleistocene, and possibly Pliocene, associations from three different localities in Sicily. The genus and species are characterized by a pseudoporous lepraliomorph frontal shield bordered by marginal areolae, with a prominent suboral umbo; a subcircular primary orifice with a shallow large sinus flanked by condyles, usually protected by oral spines; a prominent ovicell with an entirely exposed calcified entooecium sculptured by tubercles and pseudopores; a lateral suboral, hooked avicularium; and basal calcified pillar-like prominences for adhering to the substratum. The affinities of the genus with Robertsonidra Osburn, 1952, characterized by a frontal shield only perforated by peripheral areolae, are discussed. The erection of the new family Robertsonidridae n. fam. within the Lepraliomorpha is suggested for accommodating both Robertsonidra and Bertorsonidra n. gen. Information is given about ecological requirements of the species, persisting during time, and its morphological adaptation for colonising algal substrata, which Bertorsonidra prenanti n. comb, shares with some species of the genus Robertsonidra and other ones belonging to systematically unrelated genera.

First report on the palaeopsychrospheric ostracod genus Nemoceratina (Pariceratina) Gründel and Kozur, 1972 (Ostracoda, Bythocytheridae) from the Quaternary of the Mediterranean basin and description of a new species

The first occurrence of the ostracod genus Nemoceratina (subgenus Pariceratina) Gründel and Kozur, 1972 (Podocopida, Bythocytheridae) in the Quaternary of the Mediterranean area is reported and the paleoenvironmental significance of this palaeopsychrospheric genus is discussed in the context of the geological history of the Tethydean area. A new species Nemoceratina (Pariceratina) barrieri n. sp., is described. The specimens have been discovered in “Cala S. Antonino” along the western slope of the Cape Milazzo Peninsula (Northeastern Sicily) in Gelasian sandy-silty sediments cropping out unconformably on a conglomerate attributed to the Tortonian (Upper Miocene) and formed as a result of the erosion of the underlying metamorphic rocks belonging to the “Calabride Complex”. The genus Nemoceratina seems to be widespread in the Middle Triassic sediments of Central Europe where it is considered a palaeopsychrospheric ostracod, i.e. a marker of palaeoclimatic and palaeoecological conditions characteristic of deeper and cold Triassic ocean waters. Monoceratina becomes scarcer in the Cenozoic, but maintains its psychrospheric characteristics. The genus is very rare in the Quaternary, and its discovery in the Pleistocene deep water sediments suggests that it has maintained its ecological requirements through time. The species Nemoceratina (Pariceratina) barrieri n. sp., is considered a residual element of the deep water Tethyan ostracod fauna. Francesco Sciuto. Palaeoecological Research Group, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Science, Catania University, Corso Italia, 55, Catania 95129, Italy. fsciuto@unict.it