Suidae (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) are a diverse group of large mammals, today widely distributed in Africa and Eurasia, but also including a heterogeneous array of extinct forms. Most extant suids are fast-breeding and highly adaptable species. This likely explains why several lineages experimented rapid (over the course of geological time) episodes of diversification which, in addition to the importance for the evolution of the group, are of great interest for biochronological correlations and paleoenvironmental reconstructions. These applications are especially developed in the African Neogene-Quaternary, where fossil suids assume a fundamental role in the relative dating of several key sites for human evolution. In Europe, this potential is relatively poorly exploited, partly due to inherent differences between species, but mostly, and somehow paradoxically, because historical recoveries often lack appropriate controls. Indeed, even though suids are of great possible value for many applications, a drawback of the overall plesiomorphic morphology and plastic adaptability of suids is that evolutionary changes need to be tested within well chronologically and geographically constrained settings. In contributing to the general goal of resolving the evolutionary relationships and developing a biochronological scheme for Neogene-Quaternary suids of Europe, a collection of case studies is presented in this thesis, which are or will be soon published as a series of independent papers. The results of this thesis confirm and discuss, at different chronological, geographical, and phylogenetic scales, the biochronolocical and paleoecological value of European suids. In particular for: 1) the so-called Vallesian crisis ~9.7 Ma; 2) the Miocene-Pliocene (Turolian-Ruscinian) transition ~5.3 Ma; 3) the late Early Pleistocene, in pre- and post-Epivillafranchian faunas ~1.2–0.8 Ma; 4) Middle to Late Pleistocene environmental and climatic fluctuations. Moreover, analyses on neurocranial anatomy and ecomorphology yielded unexpected results, opening promising lines for future research.

I Suidae (Mammalia, Artiodactyla), sono un diversificato gruppo di grandi mammiferi, oggi ampiamente distribuito in Africa e in Eurasia, che include anche un diversificato assortimento di forme estinte. La maggior parte delle specie attualmente viventi si riproducono velocemente e sono molto adattabili. Questo probabilmente spiega perché diverse linee evolutive abbiano sperimentato rapidi (nel corso del tempo geologico) momenti di diversificazione, i quali, oltre che per l’importanza nell’evoluzione del gruppo, rivestono grande interesse per correlazioni biocronologiche e ricostruzioni paleoambientali. Queste applicazioni sono specialmente sviluppate per il Neogene e il Quaternario dell’Africa, dove i suidi fossili assumono un ruolo fondamentale nella datazione relativa di diversi siti chiave dell’evoluzione umana. In Europa, questo potenziale è relativamente poco sfruttato, in parte per insite differenze tra le diverse specie, ma soprattutto, e in qualche modo paradossalmente, perché i ritrovamenti effettuati in tempi storici spesso mancano di un contesto affidabile. In effetti, anche se i suidi fossili sono potenzialmente di grande importanza per molte applicazioni, la generale plesiomorfia e plastica adattabilità di questo gruppo rende necessario valutare i cambiamenti evolutivi all'interno di contesti ben vincolati cronologicamente e geograficamente. Nel contribuire al più ampio obiettivo di risolvere le relazioni evolutive e sviluppare uno schema biocronologico per i suidi neogenico-quaternari dell’Europa, una serie di casi di studio è presentata in questa tesi, che sono stati pubblicati o sono in corso di pubblicazione come articoli indipendenti. I risultati di questa tesi confermano e discutono, a diverse scale cronologiche, geografiche e filogenetiche, il valore biocronologico e paleoecologico dei suidi europei. In particolare per: 1) la cosiddetta crisi del Vallesiano ~9.7 Ma; 2) la transizione Miocene-Pliocene (Turoliano-Rusciniano) ~5.3 Ma; 3) il Pleistocene Inferiore superiore, nelle faune pre- e post-Epivillafranchiano ~1.2–0.8 Ma; 4) le oscillazioni climatiche ed ambientali del Pleistocene Medio al Pleistocene superiore. Inoltre, analisi di neuroanatomia del cranio ed ecomorfologia hanno restituito risultati inaspettati, aprendo promettenti linee di ricerca per studi futuri.

Late Miocene to Quaternary European Suidae: evolution and biochronology / Iannucci, Alessio. - (2022 Mar 24).

Late Miocene to Quaternary European Suidae: evolution and biochronology

IANNUCCI, ALESSIO
24/03/2022

Abstract

Suidae (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) are a diverse group of large mammals, today widely distributed in Africa and Eurasia, but also including a heterogeneous array of extinct forms. Most extant suids are fast-breeding and highly adaptable species. This likely explains why several lineages experimented rapid (over the course of geological time) episodes of diversification which, in addition to the importance for the evolution of the group, are of great interest for biochronological correlations and paleoenvironmental reconstructions. These applications are especially developed in the African Neogene-Quaternary, where fossil suids assume a fundamental role in the relative dating of several key sites for human evolution. In Europe, this potential is relatively poorly exploited, partly due to inherent differences between species, but mostly, and somehow paradoxically, because historical recoveries often lack appropriate controls. Indeed, even though suids are of great possible value for many applications, a drawback of the overall plesiomorphic morphology and plastic adaptability of suids is that evolutionary changes need to be tested within well chronologically and geographically constrained settings. In contributing to the general goal of resolving the evolutionary relationships and developing a biochronological scheme for Neogene-Quaternary suids of Europe, a collection of case studies is presented in this thesis, which are or will be soon published as a series of independent papers. The results of this thesis confirm and discuss, at different chronological, geographical, and phylogenetic scales, the biochronolocical and paleoecological value of European suids. In particular for: 1) the so-called Vallesian crisis ~9.7 Ma; 2) the Miocene-Pliocene (Turolian-Ruscinian) transition ~5.3 Ma; 3) the late Early Pleistocene, in pre- and post-Epivillafranchian faunas ~1.2–0.8 Ma; 4) Middle to Late Pleistocene environmental and climatic fluctuations. Moreover, analyses on neurocranial anatomy and ecomorphology yielded unexpected results, opening promising lines for future research.
24-mar-2022
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1623532
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