Maria Rita Palombo

The new chronology of the Ceprano calvarium (Italy)

IntroductionThe fossil human calvarium known as Ceprano (Latium, Italy) iscommonly dated to 800e900 ka, on the basis of geological andstratigraphical inferences (Ascenzi et al., 1996, 2000). This chro-nology appeared somehow consistent with the “archaic”morphology of the calvarium and its peculiar combination offeatures, which gave rise to a controversial taxonomic identity(Ascenzietal.,1996,2000;Clarke,2000;Manzietal.,2001;Mallegniet al., 2003; Bruner and Manzi, 2005, 2007). A re-evaluation of thislate Early Pleistocene chronology has been advanced by Muttoniet al. (2009) on the basis of paleomagnetic data. This hypothesis istested here, based on the combined evaluation of the multidisci-plinary evidence collected during recent systematic excavations.The specimen was discovered on 13 March 1994 within a claylevel partly destroyed by bulldozers working for a new road ina locality known as Campogrande (Fig. 1), about 3 km SW ofCeprano and 100 km SE of Rome, in Central Italy (for review andreferences see Manzi, 2004). The sediment containing the cranialfragments yielded more than 50 fragments. However, the craniumremainedincompletebecauseneitherportionsof thefacenorteethwere retrieved.The geological history of the Campogrande area was initiallyreferred to two main stratigraphic complexes (Ascenzi et al., 1996,2000; Ascenzi and Segre, 1997a,b): 1) upper fluvio-colluvialdeposits, with variable occurrence of volcanoclastic products (lateEarly to Middle Pleistocene); 2) lower lacustrine deposits, withoutvolcanoclastic products (roughly predating 1.0 Ma). The layercontaining the human calvarium was considered to belong to thelower portion of the upper stratigraphic complex. Its chronologywas inferred as more ancient than the Acheulean site of FontanaRanuccio, near Anagni (458 5.7 ka; Segre and Ascenzi, 1984),possiblyolderthan700ka,adatecorrespondingtothebeginningofthe volcanic activity in the region (Fornaseri, 1985).Given the presence in the Ceprano basin of various LowerPaleolithic assemblages, the archaic features of the calvarium andits hypothetical chronological position were considered in associ-ation with Mode 1, or Oldowan, techno-complexes (Biddittu,1984;Ascenzietal.,1996,2000).Mode1Paleolithicintheareacomefromvarious localities, including Arce, Castro de’ Volsci, Fontana Liri(Biddittu, 1972, 1974), as well as from the Campogrande area itself(see SOM-1), whose assemblages are characterized by flint orlimestone pebble-tools (mostly choppers, chopping-tools andpercussion tools), by debitage with hammerstone flakes, and byrelatively frequent cores, with a low degree of exploitation, mostoften unifacial, and high frequencyof cortical striking platforms. Asfor Mode 2 or Acheulean assemblages, new recent data (excava-tions 2001e2006; see below) have made it possible to bettercharacterize the material from Campogrande. These materials arenot numerically rich, but they yield evidence of each production

Palaeoloxodon and Human Interaction: Depositional Setting, Chronology and Archaeology at the Middle Pleistocene Ficoncella Site (Tarquinia, Italy)

The Ficoncella site in northern Latium (Italy) represents a unique opportunity to investigate the modalities of a short occupation in an alluvial setting during the Lower Palaeolithic. The small excavation area yielded a lithic assemblage, a carcass of Palaeoloxodon antiquus, and some other faunal remains. The main objectives of the study are to better characterize the depositional context where the Palaeoloxodon and the lithic assemblage occur, and to evaluate with greater precision the occupation dynamics. A 25 m-long well was drilled just above the top of the terrace of the Ficoncella site and faunal and lithic remains were analyzed with current and innovative techniques. The archaeological site contains floodplain deposits as it is located next to a small incised valley that feeds into a larger valley of the Mignone River. A tephra layer capping the site is 40Ar/39Ar dated to 441± 8 ka. Collectively, the geochronologic, tephrochronologic and geologic data, suggest the site was occupied during MIS 13. The new results should prompt further research at Ficoncella in order to improve our understanding of the dynamics of human settlement in Europe during the Early to Middle Pleistocene.

Biochronology, paleobiogeography and faunal turnover in western Mediterranean Cenozoic mammals

Cenozoic terrestrial mammals from Sardinia contribute substantial information for reconstructing the complex history of the western Mediterranean. The occurrence of endemic perissodactyls in Eocene marine and marsh deposits suggests the existence of ecological or physical barriers between the Corso-Sardinian massif and the Iberian-Occitanic area. At the end of the Oligocene, isolation of Sardinia was almost complete, although a migration from Europe occurred at the beginning of the Early Miocene, as indicated by the unbalanced endemic fauna from Oschiri. During the Late Miocene, the Tusco-Sardinian palaeobioprovince came into existence as an isolated region inhabited by the quite diversified, but notably endemic, Oreopithecus fauna. Sardinia was definitely isolated from Tuscany by the Messinian, but temporary connections with the European mainland possibly allowed the colonization of forerunners of some Sardinian Pliocene taxa. During the Plio-Pleistocene, Sardinia maintained permanent isolation. However, sea level drop, resulting in a relatively short distance between Sardinia and the European mainland, allowed different migratory events. From the Late Pliocene to the Late Pleistocene-Holocene, two main mammalian faunal complexes (FC) can be recognized: the Nesogoral FC (Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene) and the Microtus (Tyrrhenicola) FC (late Early Pleistocene-Early Holocene). At the transition from Nesogoral to Microtus (Tyrrhenicola) FC, approximately 47% of the genera and 76% of the species disappeared, while approximately 58% of the genera and 71% of the species appeared. A noticeable turnover followed the arrival of Neolithic man and his accompanying fauna. Nonetheless, Praemegaceros was still present at about 7000 years BP, while Microtus (Tyrrhenicola) and Prolagus are respectively recorded in the Bronze and Iron Ages.

Body size structure of Pleistocene mammalian communities: what support is there for the “island rule”?

Islands are often regarded by scientists as living laboratories of evolution and an optimal context for the study of forces influencing evolution and diversification. Two main issues have been attentively scrutinized and debated: the loss of biodiversity and the peculiar changes undergone by island settlers, primarily changes in size of endemic vertebrates. Over time, several hypotheses have been formulated to explain the causal mechanism of body size modification. Faunas of those islands where mainland taxa migrate more than once provide the most interesting data to answer the question of whether or not trends of insular taxa result from a predictable response to differences in competition and availability of niches between insular and mainland environments. To contribute to the debate, the body size structure of the Pleistocene mammalian faunas from two Mediterranean islands, Sicily and Crete, were analyzed and compared with the structure of coeval mainland faunas. The results obtained suggest that: (i) size of endemic species does not directly depend on the area of islands; (ii) evolution and size of endemic species seems somewhat affected by the degree of isolation (constraining colonization from mainland) and physiography (sometimes permitting adaptive radiation); (iii) in unbalanced insular communities, the shift in size of non-carnivorous species largely depends on the nature of competing species; and (iv) body size of carnivorous species mainly depends on the size of the most available prey. Consequently, it is rational to suppose that the body size of insular mammals mainly results from the peculiar biological dynamics that characterizes unbalanced insular communities. Ecological interaction, particularly the intraguild competition, is the major driver behind the evolution of insular communities, leading towards an optimization of energy balance through a change in body size of endemic settlers.

Functional aspects and ecological implications in Pleistocene endemic herbivores of Mediterranean Islands

The endemic herbivores of Pleistocene Mediterranean Islands, in their processes of adaptation and speciation, show two main tendencies: size variations, widely described in the case of size reduction, and morphological and functional variations, mainly concerning the distal segment of limbs. In the so‐called pachyderms (elephants and hippos) adaptive morphologies are added to variations due to size reduction and point out a cursorial attitude. The endemic insular cervids show perhaps less remarkable functional modifications, but these modifications demonstrate that each form acquire characteristic adaptations, in function of their ecological niche. The modifications of endemic bovids are less known with exception of the dwarf balearic bovids, in which the evolutive process prouced remarkable cranial, dental and limb modifications.

Highlighting the Early-Middle Pleistocene transition in Italian and French large-mammal faunas: similarities and faunal renewals

Abstract A similarity analysis between the large-mammal faunas of France and the Italian peninsula for the Pliocene to Middle Pleistocene highlights the taxonomic and structural renewal of large-mammal assemblages that took place at the Early-Middle Pleistocene transition. This faunal renewal coincides with a period of climatic deterioration revealed by the spread of grasslands that supported more abundant ‘cold’ taxa. Nevertheless, both in France and in Italy, this passage is not marked by a real turnover (i.e. the complete or almost complete renewal of a mammal fauna), but by an extinction phase followed by a dispersal event.

Early-Middle Pleistocene structural changes in mammalian communities from the Italian peninsula

Abstract The late Early and Middle Pleistocene mammal fossil record of Italy has been revised by grouping faunal lists into discrete faunal complexes, termed cluster units, by means of bootstrapped cluster analysis which allows the evaluation of group partition sharpness. These complexes have been compared with previously erected Italian biochrons and then analysed for their body size (by cenogram analysis) and diversity trends. Some considerations about changes in predator-prey ratios are made. It is shown that diversity increased sharply at the onset of the middle Galerian mammal age, coincident with the well-known shift from 40 to 100 ka glacial-interglacial periodicity. This increased diversity was entirely driven by the concurrent arrival in Italy of some large ungulates. Cenograms reveal that the climate became wetter and markedly cooler following the arid conditions that characterize the late Early Pleistocene. Wetter environments are generally expected to sustain a higher proportion of large herbivore species. Because carnivore species did not respond in the same way, the predator-prey ratio changed in favour of prey. In summary, the transition from Early to Middle Pleistocene faunas (from early to middle Galerian mammal ages) represents a major reorganization in the large-mammal complexes from the Italian peninsula. This was reflected in both the diversity and trophic structure of large-mammal communities.

Timing of the emergence of the Europe–Sicily bridge (40–17 cal ka BP) and its implications for the spread of modern humans

Abstract The submerged sill in the Strait of Messina, which is located today at a minimum depth of 81 m below sea level (bsl), represents the only land connection between Sicily and mainland Italy (and thus Europe) during the last lowstand when the sea level locally stood at about 126 m bsl. Today, the sea crossing to Sicily, although it is less than 4 km at the narrowest point, faces hazardous sea conditions, made famous by the myth of Scylla and Charybdis. Through a multidisciplinary research project, we document the timing and mode of emergence of this land connection during the last 40 kyr. The integrated analysis takes into consideration morphobathymetric and lithological data, and relative sea-level change (both isostatic and tectonic), resulting in the hypothesis that a continental land bridge lasted for at least 500 years between 21.5 and 20 cal ka BP. The emergence may have occurred over an even longer time span if one allows for seafloor erosion by marine currents that have lowered the seabed since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Modelling of palaeotidal velocities shows that sea crossings when sea level was lower than present would have faced even stronger and more hazardous sea currents than today, supporting the hypothesis that earliest human entry into Sicily most probably took place on foot during the period when the sill emerged as dry land. This hypothesis is compared with an analysis of Pleistocene vertebrate faunas in Sicily and mainland Italy, including a new radiocarbon date on bone collagen of an Equus hydruntinus specimen from Grotta di San Teodoro (23–21 cal ka BP), the dispersal abilities of the various animal species involved, particularly their swimming abilities, and the Palaeolithic archaeological record, all of which support the hypothesis of a relatively late land-based colonization of Sicily by Homo sapiens.

THE HORN-CORE OF HEMIBOS GALERIANUS FROM PONTE MILVIO, ROME (ITALY)

Anatomical reinterpretation of a horn-core from the Ponte Milvio site, previously ascribed to Bubalus murrensis , suggests that it belongs to the species Hemibos galerianus , originally described from the type locality of the Galerian Land Mammal Age (LMA). This is the second record in the Italian Pleistocene of this rare Bovini species, derived from the genus Hemibos of Indian origin.

THE MIDDLE PLEISTOCENE DEPOSITS OF THE ROMAN BASIN (LATIUM, ITALY):AN INTEGRATED APPROACH OF MAMMAL BIOCHRONOLOGY AND SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY

The biochronological setting proposed for the Plio-Pleistocene large mammal faunas of the Italian peninsula is based on the definition of faunal units (FUs) and mammal ages (MAs). Many evidences suggest that a multidisciplinary approach could enable us to better understand the actual meaning of a given faunal assemblage taking into account sedimentological and physical stratigraphic studies of the sedimentary successions in which local mammal faunas occur. The Pleistocene deposits of the Roman Basin can be considered a significant model to test this integrated approach. The detailed study of this sedimentary succession, in terms of facies analysis and sequence stratigraphy, sets some physical and temporal constrains to the occurrence of faunal complexes because the allocyclic control (climate and eustatic variations) on both landscape and stratigraphical evolution can affect the association type of mammal faunas. A correlation scheme between the Roman Pleistocene sequence-stratigraphic units and the mammal biochrons has been proposed; this approach constitutes a first tentative to connect the mammal fauna remains to the sedimentary processes which are responsible of their transport, stock and potential preservation in the depositional environments and to collocate this fauna in the systems tracts of the fourth-order depositional sequences recognised in the local Roman Basin Pleistocene succession.