Small vertebrates from the Late Pleistocene of Avetrana (Apulia, southern Italy) karst filling

Abstract

<p>The fossiliferous deposit (karst cavity) in La Grave, a locality near the small town of Avetrana (Taranto, southern Italy), has yielded numerous fossils of vertebrates. The remains of large mammals have been the subject of several studies. This paper examines the remains of small vertebrates and identifies four taxa of amphibians (<i>Bufo bufo, Bufotes</i> gr. <i>B. viridis, Hyla</i> gr. <i>H. Arborea</i> and <i>Rana</i> (s.l.) sp.), four taxa of reptiles (<i>Testudo hermanni, Podarcis sp., Zamenis</i> gr. <i>Z. longissimus, Natrix natrix</i>), and nine taxa of small mammals (<i>Erinaceus europaeus, Crocidura suaveolens, Arvicola italicus, Microtus (Terricola) savii, Microtus (Microtus) arvalis, Apodemus</i> gr. <i>A. sylvaticus - A. flavicollis, Hystrix (Acanthion) vinogradovi, Oryctolagus cuniculus</i> and <i>Lepus corsicanus</i>). From a biochronological point of view, the data on small and large vertebrates indicate an age between the beginning of the Late Pleistocene (MIS 5e) and the central part of MIS 3. The most recent fossiliferous layer (bed 8) is likely to have been deposited during a cooler period when compared to the previous layers.The data from small fossil vertebrates combined with those emerging from the large mammals and birds evidence the presence, near the karstic cavity, of open spaces (prairies) with pools of water, bordered by wooded areas and, not far, the presence of a rocky coastline.</p>