Abstract
El depósito (cavidad kárstica) de La Grave, localidad cercana a la pequeña ciudad de Avetrana (Tarento, Italia meridional), ha dado lugar a numerosos fósiles de vertebrados. Los restos de grandes mamíferos han sido objeto de varios estudios. En este trabajo se examinan los restos de pequeños vertebrados y se identifican cuatro taxones de anfibios (Bufo bufo, Bufotes gr. B. viridis, Hyla gr. H. Arborea and Rana (s.l.) sp.), cuatro de reptiles (Testudo hermanni, Podarcis sp., Zamenis gr. Z. longissimus, Natrix natrix), y nueve de pequeños mamíferos (Erinaceus europaeus, Crocidura suaveolens, Arvicola italicus, Microtus (Terricola) savii, Microtus (Microtus) arvalis, Apodemus gr. A. sylvaticus - A. flavicollis, Hystrix (Acanthion) vinogradovi, Oryctolagus cuniculus and Lepus corsicanus). Desde un punto de vista biocronológico, los datos sobre los vertebrados pequeños y grandes indican una edad entre el comienzo del Pleistoceno tardío (MIS 5e) y la parte central del MIS 3. Es probable que el estrato fosilífero más reciente (nivel 8) se haya depositado durante un período más frío en comparación con las capas anteriores. Los datos de pequeños vertebrados fósiles combinados con los que proceden de los grandes mamíferos y aves evidencian la presencia, cerca de la cavidad kárstica, de espacios abiertos (praderas) con charcos de agua, bordeados por zonas boscosas y, no muy lejos, la presencia de una costa rocosa.
Highlights
The fossiliferous deposit found at locality La Grave near Avetrana (Taranto, southern Italy) (Fig. 1) has been the subject of an intensive campaign of excavation carried out by “Sapienza” University of Rome, in agreement with the “Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici” of Apulia and with the collaboration of researchers of “Museo delle Civiltà preclassiche della Murgia meridionale” of Ostuni (Brindisi), and of Turin University (Sardella et al, 2005; Petronio et al, 2008; Salari & Sardella, 2009)
Specimens of this arvicoline with advanced morphology unquestionably belonging to the extant species, are known since the beginning of Late Pleistocene (Kotsakis et al, 2003)
From bed 5, two other elements were collected, Crocidura suaveolens and Arvicola italicus, that only appear in Late Pleistocene
Summary
The fossiliferous deposit found at locality La Grave near Avetrana (Taranto, southern Italy) (Fig. 1) has been the subject of an intensive campaign of excavation (october 2003) carried out by “Sapienza” University of Rome, in agreement with the “Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici” of Apulia and with the collaboration of researchers of “Museo delle Civiltà preclassiche della Murgia meridionale” of Ostuni (Brindisi), and of Turin University (Sardella et al, 2005; Petronio et al, 2008; Salari & Sardella, 2009). According to Petronio et al (2008) and Pandolfi et al (2013), different layers or beds, are recognized in the site of Avetrana (Fig. 2), which were probably deposited rapidly during a short time span (from a geological point of view) by exceptional events, resulting in the rapid incorporation of carcasses and isolated vertebrate remains in the karst cavity. During the recent investigations at the site of Avetrana (2012 and 2013), new fossil remains were recovered and new insightful observations about stratigraphy and taphonomy have been performed The aim of this additional work on the fossil deposit of Avetrana is to describe in detail the small vertebrates found in all levels (some remains of large-sized rodent Hystrix vinogradovi have alredy been studied by Salari & Sardella, 2009, 2011).
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