The Pleistocene non-hominid vertebrate ichnofossil record of Italy

Gian Luigi Pillola

;Maria Rita Palombo

;Adolfo Panarello

;Daniel Zoboli

2020-01-01

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Abstract

This work presents the current knowledge on the Quaternary vertebrate ichnological record (excluding the hominid data) of peninsular and insular Italy. In particular, the data concerning different Pleistocene localities of Sardinia (e.g. Capo Mannu and Funtana Morimenta) and the Middle Pleistocene Foresta “Devil’s Trails” ichnosite of Roccamonfina Volcano (Campania) are here discussed. In the Pleistocene record of Sardinia four ichnotaxa are known: Bifidipes aff. B. aeolis as regard the Early Pleistocene, and Proboscipeda panfamilia McNeil, Hills, Tolman, and Kooyman, 2007, Bifidipes isp. and Canipeda isp. as concerning the Middle-Late Pleistocene record. Four ichnotaxa are identified also in the Middle Pleistocene ichnosite of Foresta “Devil’s Trails”: Proboscipeda panfamilia, McNeil, Hills, Tolman, and Kooyman, 2007, Ursichnus isp., Hippipeda isp., and the ichnogenus Pecoripeda (? ichnosubgenus Cervipeda). The systematics of the mammal ichnofossils and the putative trackmakers are discussed and, furthermore, the ages, the stratigraphic and geological data are briefly treated to suggest the relative palaeoenvironmental contexts.