Il contributo italiano nelle ricerche faunistiche in Anatolia

Abstract

Biogeographia - vol. XX - 1999 (Pubblicata il 31 ottobre 1999) Biogeografia de|l'Analo|ia ll contribute italiano alle ricerche faunistiche in Anatolial AUGUSTO VIGNA TAGLIANTI *, MARZIO ZAPPAROLI ** *Dz'pz1m'me7zto di Biologia Arzimzzle e (lell’U0zr1a (Zoologizz), I/'Iziucrsz'rr‘z di Roma qLa Sapiezzzzffi Viz:/e :1/c'll’Ui1iuer5it:‘z, 32 - I—00185 Roma (ltzzlizz) **Dz;va;-tinzcrzro di Protezione dc//e Pimzte, Umq:/ez':irt'z dellzz Tmcirz, Via Szm Crzmillo dc Lellix — 1-01 100 Vz'tr;'rbo (Itrt/fa) Key words: Iiiunistic research. zoogcography, biospeleology, Anatolia. Italian zoologisrs. European naturalist travellers and cxplotets. SUMMARY This review is aimed to outline the history of the naturalistic, and especially zoological. researches in the Asian Turkey, focusing on thmconlribirtion of the Italian scientists to the knowledge of Anatolian fauna and to the zoogcngraphy of Near and Middle East. Since the beginning OFXIX century, the highest number of Italian zoologists exploring the Anatolian region is represented by en tomologists. The first ll:l!lqI(3.‘i. in Etct, are those oI’G. De Cristofbris and G. Jan (the founders 0Fthe Milan Museum oFNatur.1l History), with :1 travel in 1832 (and then the description in I337 ofsome oFthe most famous species of Cum/mt from Northern Anatolia). and C. Oseulati. :1 great traveller and explorer, also connected to the Milan Museum, who l'i‘dVCllcLi in north~e;ystern Anatolia in 1341 (along the road to Pcl‘Si:1:li1(,i India), collecting some Coleoptera also on Mount Ararat. In the second lmlIqoIqXlX century. among :1 rich number ofzoulogists travelling the Anatolia from Central Europe (as A. Kindernuuin. F. GoehcI,]. Lederen]. Iirueper, M. Korb. E. v. Oertzen. C, Eschericli, M. Halo.) and (mun France (as C. Delagrange), only the Italian A. Costa visited (1875) the Southern coast of Turkey. :‘\t the end UFXIX anti at the beginning of XX century. important research trips were done on Bolltar Dag (by E. v. Bodemeyer). Erciyes Dag (by A. 1’eIxtlIer and E. Zetlerhauer) and in \‘1/stern and Southern Anatolia (l:uy]. Sahlherg and son in 19011, E. v. Bodemeycr in 191 1. H. Gadeau dc Kerville in 1912). The scientific results ofzlmse explorations were published hy the top speL'i:1iists of the time, as L. Fairrnaire, IE. Reittcr, L. G-angllmuer, V. Api’i:ll)CCIC. ICW. Verhoeff. C.G. Atrems and the Italian D. Rosa who studied the ezirtlnvorms. In I913 E. Festa planned the first rcsearclr trip to Rhodes Island; ai-‘ter the World \\'/at I, while the Dodectnese Islands were under the Italian Government and some l[.'l.lial1 bases were on the Anatolian coasts (as Bodrum and Adzilia), some zoological and especially occanognxpliic researches were planned and carried out (R. Varriale in 1919, G. Magrini in 1921, L. Sanzo in 1922, E. Ninni in I933). Few years later. the liiuna ofthe Dotlecaiiese Islantls was studied by the Itriliaii expedition of A. Ghigi, R. Issel and A. Brian. and Tilt: results were published in 1928-1929 by many specialists. in the same years, also the lmrst areas near .‘\!1t'.1l}';l were explored by lmlizul speleologists (in 1928 the Circuit) Speleologico Romano visited the cave In Dag. [l‘lCl'l::ll‘l'Cl'l1£llllL’t.l qGretta Ulissc Aldrcwandiq); the Pisidian and Pamphylian caves were explored in the 305 by L. W/eitutiier, and the cave fauna was studied by R. jeannel and by G. Mfiller. After 21 Few years A. Della Torre e T315530 and A. Scliarmmyr (l\'Iu:.'eum “Pietro Rossiq of Duino) did two resmrch trips to islantls of the 1 Ricerche zoologiche delle Uriivcrsitii di Rmna nel Vicino Orieme: 185.