Bio-chronology of pleistocene vertebrate faunas of sicily and correlation of vertebrate bearing deposits with marine deposits

Abstract

The rich Pleistocene fossil record of Sicily allowed the construction of a fairly detailed bio-chronological frame that is dated by correlation of vertebrate bearing deposits with marine deposits by geochemical and radiometric dating too. Actually, an important category of deposits is representative of transitional and neritic environments, frequently associated with a lagoon or swamp. Limnic deposits related to small freshwater basins also occur, often in relation to coastal and fully marine deposits. Numerous relationships have been found between the vertebrate bearing deposits and marine deposits, which can be correlated with the δ18O isotopic record and the main palaeogeographic events in Sicily. At present five Faunal Complexes (F. C.), characterised by the occurrence of different taxa, have been recognised. The two older Faunal Complexes (Monte Pellegrino F.C., Elephas falconeri F. C.) include taxa with differently marked endemic features. Where correlated with marine sediments, the assemblages of the Elephas falconeri F. C. are associated with deposits dated early Middle Pleistocene (Comiso, Spinagallo cave, San Vito Lo Capo peninsula). In the younger F.C'xes (Elephas mnaidriensis F.C., S. Teodoro cave-Pianetti F.C., and Castello F. C.) faunal composition is becoming more similar to that of the southern Italian peninsula and denotes that temporary connections with southern Italy occurred. Where correlated with sediment of marine environments, the assemblages of the E. mnaidriensis Faunal Complex are associated with deposits dated as late Middle Pleistocene and/or Late Pleistocene (S.Ciro cave, Maddalena peninsula, Contrada Cacaladritta, Cape Peloro, Contrada Fusco, Coste di Gigia, Scodonì, San Vito Lo Capo peninsula). The most likely time interval for the two Faunal Complex seems to be, respectively, from stage 22 to younger not defined oscillations of the oxygen isotope curve (Elephas falconeri F.C.) and from early stage 6 to early stage 4 of δ18O isotopic record (Elephas mnaidriensis F. C.).