Contribution of the late Miocene mammals from Calabria and Sicily to the palaeogeography of the central Mediterranean

Authors

  • Antonella Cinzia Marra Università degli Studi di Messina, Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, di Scienze Fisiche e di Scienze della Terra, Viale F. S. D'Alcontre 31, 98166 Messina

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1478/AAPP.97S2A29

Keywords:

paleogeography, late Miocene, Mammals

Abstract

During Miocene, the paleogeography of the central Mediterranean area underwent significant modifications under control of Plate Tectonics. The area here considered occupies a southern position, rougly coincident with the Calabria-Peloritan Arc (CPA), located at the intersection between the NW/SE-trending southern Apennines and the SE-trending Sicilian Maghrebides. Land mammal assemblages can profitably be used in the paleogeographic reconstructions. The late Miocene assemblages form Central Italy and Sardinia allowed the recognition of the Tusco-Sardinia bioprovince as an isular domain for the endemic character of the fauna. The same conclusion has been reached for the Apulo-Abruzzi bioprovince, considered as an island during late Miocene. The recent studies on the mammal assemblage from Cessaniti (Calabria) revealed a continental character of the fauna, probably related to a land connection to Africa. The same datum comes from the assemblages of Gravitelli, Messinian in age, and from Monte Pellegrino (indirect datum). The Calabria-Sicily area can be considered a new bioprovince in the central Mediterranean during late Miocene.

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Published

2019-12-20

Issue

Vol 97, SUPPL NO 2 (2019): NACS 2017

Section

NACS 2017 (Conference Proceedings)

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