SESS 0_retro e indice edi.pub Il Quaternario Italian Journal of Quaternary Sciences 24, (Abstract AIQUA, Roma 02/2011), Congresso AIQUA Il Quaternario Italiano: conoscenze e prospettive Roma 24 e 25 febbraio 2011 THE GENUS ARVERNOCEROS HEINTZ, 1970 IN ITALY: PRELIMINARY REPORT Carmelo Petronio & Luca Pandolfi Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, , Università Sapienza, Roma Corresponding author: C. Petronio ABSTRACT: Petronio C. & Pandolfi L., The genus Arvernoceros Heintz, 1970 in Italy: preliminary report. (IT ISSN 0394-3356, 2011) The first occurrence of the large-sized deer Arvernoceros in the Early Pleistocene of Italy is reported. This genus was found in the sites of Madonna della Strada and Selvella (Central Italy). The considered remains have morphological and biometrical characters similar to those of the species A. giulii and are quite different from those of the genus Euclado- ceros and of the genus Praemegaceros. RIASSUNTO: Petronio C. & Pandolfi L., Il genere Arvernoceros Heintz, 1970 in Italia: rapporto preliminare. (IT ISSN 0394-3356, 2011) Viene riportata la prima presenza in Italia del cervo di grande taglia Arvernoceros durante il Pleistocene Inferiore. Questo genere è stato rinvenuto nei siti di Madonna della Strada e Selvella (Italia Centrale). I resti considerati presentano carat- teri morfologici e biometrici simili a quelli della specie A. giulii e sono abbastanza differenti da quelli dei generi Euclado- ceros e Praemegaceros. Key words: Arvernoceros, Italy, Early Pleistocene Parole chiave: Arvernoceros, Italia, Pleistocene Inferiore We report here findings constituting some fossil remains of a large-sized deer. They have been discovered in the Late Villafranchian deposits (late Early Pleistocene) outcropping in the Chiana river valley at Selvella and in the wide intra-Apennine basin of L’Aquila, in locality Madonna della Strada. Both the sites are localized in Central Italy and are referred respectively to Farneta and Pirro Faunal Unit (GLIOZZI et al., 1997). Basing on morphologi- cal and biometrical characters, the considered re- mains can be referred to the genus Arvernoceros: these represent the first records of this genus in Italy. In fact, before the present description the most common large-sized deer of the late Early Pleistocene of Italy were Eucladoceros and Praemegaceros (AZZAROLI & MAZZA, 1992; GLIOZZI et al., 1997; ABBAZZI, 2004). A limited number of specimens of the genus Cervalces was also re- ported in Northern Italy (AZZAROLI, 1979a). The genus Arvernoceros includes medium and large- sized species. It is characterized by a rather con- servative specific variability of antler morphology and primitive morphology of dentition, with simple P/4 and relatively long premolar series (HEINTZ, 1970; CROITOR & KOSTOPOULOS, 2004). The sys- tematic position of Arvernoceros is still unclear. HEINTZ (1970) included the genus in the Megacerini tribe, and thus assumed a phylogenetic relationship with Megaloceros. DI STEFANO & PETRONIO (2002) included Arvernoceros ardei in the genus Axis, and suggested, with morphological considerations, that the latter was related to a strictly similar, but more specialized form of Axis shansius. CROITOR & STEFANIAK (2009) noticed strict phylogenetic relationships with the modern genus Rucervus, while MADE & TONG (2008) noted a similarity with the genus Sinomegaceros. Before the 1997, in Europe, two species are ascribed to Arvernoceros: the medium-sized A. ardei, reported in France, Spain and Poland during the Early Villa- franchian (HEINTZ, 1970; CROITOR & STEFANIAK, 2009) and the large-sized A. verestchagini, de- scribed by DAVID (1992) and reported in Moldova and probably in Apollonia (Grecia) (DAVID, 1992; CROITOR & KOSTOPOULOS, 2004). In the 1997, KAHLKE indicated the remains of a large-sized deer in Untermassfeld (Germany; about 1 Ma) in refer- ence to the new species Eucladoceros giulii. Ac- cording to CROITOR & KOSTOPOULOS (2004), the hypothetical reconstruction of the antler, reported by KAHLKE (1997), was based on scant fossil frag- ments belonging to individuals of different ontoge- netic ages. The large-sized deer from Untermass- feld should be ascribed to the genus Arvernoceros based on teeth, bones and some antler morphol- ogy (CROITOR & KOSTOPOULOS, 2004). The consid- ered remains of the large-sized deer from Madonna della Strada consist of one upper molar (M1/-M2/) (MSGn°376), two astragali (MSGn°395 and DESSR s.n.) and one metatarsus (DESSR s.n.), while the remains of Selvella consist of one complete metatarsus (IGF14158) and one astraga- lus (IGF14158). The upper molar shows, in occlu- sal view, a marked parastyle and the paracone profile has rounded central fold and a less marked metacone style. These features are different from Eucladoceros; in this genus the upper molars have sharp ribs of paracone and metacone. In the upper 164 - 166 165 molar of Madonna della Strada, the protoconal fold is weakly observable; this fold is not present in P. verticornis, but is well marked in Eucladoceros and P. obscurus. The posterior wing of the hypocone in Madonna della Strada is not bifurcated, unlike the genus Eucladoceros, and the hypoconal enamel fold is not present, yet is observable in P. obscurus (AZZAROLI & MAZZA, 1992; CROITOR & KOSTOPOU- LOS, 2004; CROITOR, 2006). Weak lingual cingula are present on the upper molar of Madonna della Strada while cingula are generally absent in the genus Praemegaceros (CROITOR, 2006). In the three considered astragali the distal end of the lat- eral lip of the proximal trochlea, in anterior view, bends inward, forming a sort groove (Fig. 1A). This feature is present in A. giulii, and is absent or less clear in Eucladoceros from the various locality of Upper Valdarno and P. obscurus from Pirro Nord. Also, the proximal end of the medial lip of the proximal trochlea, in medial view (Fig. 1B), extends at the posterior through a long and straight edge, as in A. giulii. In all the specimens of Eucladoceros from the various locality of Upper Valdarno, includ- ing Poggio Rosso, P. obscurus from Pirro Nord and P. verticornis from different locality it extends through a short and curved edge. Also, the consid- ered remains are dimensionally larger than Eu- cladoceros; they are comparable with A. giulii and are smaller than A. cf. verestchagini from Apollonia -1. The two metatarsi are slender than the different species of the genus Eucladoceros; the diaphysis are smaller, while the distal epiphysis almost over- laps the largest Eucladoceros from Upper Val- darno. Proportionally, the considered metatarsi are comparable with the specimens of Arvernoceros from Untermassfeld. In the bivariate diagram of maximal length/transversal distal diameter (Fig. 1C) the remain of Selvella is comparable with the values of the large-sized deer from Untermassfeld and is well-separated from the values of Euclado- ceros and Praemegaceros. Also, morphological features distinguish the considered metatarsi from the specimens of Eucladoceros from Upper Val- darno. In particular, the proximal epiphysis is more developed dorso-plantarly and the lateral articular surface is more elongated. Furthermore, in dorsal view, the lateral portion of the proximal epiphysis seems to be higher that the medial one and the gap between the throclee in the distal epiphysis appears more enlarged. According to the previous analysis, the remains of the large-sized deer from Madonna della Strada and Selvella have dimen- sions and morphology comparable with the genus Arvernoceros and in particular are similar to the specimens of A. giulii from Untermassfeld; this last is larger than A. ardei and relatively smaller than A. cf. verestchagini. The presence of A. giulii in the Madonna della Strada and Selvella sites are the Fig. 1, A, B: Astragalus (DESSR s.n.) from Madonna della Strada in frontal view (A) and in medial view (B), the bar is of about 2 cm; C: Bivariate diagram of metatarsi from Madonna della Strada (estimated minimal length) and Selvella and A. giulii from Untermassfeld (data from KAHLKE, 1997), Eucladoceros from Upper Valdarno (data from AZZAROLI & MAZZA 1992), Praemegaceros from different sites (data from AZZAROLI, 1979b; KAHLKE, 1965, 1969, 1971; ABBAZZI et al., 1999) and A. cf. verestchagini from Apollonia-1 (data from CROITOR & KOSTOPOULOS, 2004). L = absolute length, DTD = distal transversal diameter. A, B: Astragalo (DESSR s.n.) da Madonna della Strada, in visione frontale (A) e mediale (B), la barra è di circa 2 cm; C: Diagramma bivariato dei metatarsi di Madonna della Strada (lunghezza minima stimata), Selvella e A. giulii di Untermassfeld (dati da KAHLKE, 1997), Eucladoceros del valdarno Superiore (dati da AZZAROLI & MAZZA 1992), Praemegaceros da differenti siti (dati da AZZAROLI, 1979b; KAHLKE, 1965, 1969, 1971; ABBAZZI et al., 1999) e A. cf. verestchagini da Apollonia-1 (dati da CROITOR & KOSTOPOULOS, 2004). L = lunghezza massima, DTD = diametro distale trasverso. The genus Arvernoceros Heintz, 1970 in Italy: ... 166 Ms. received: Testo ricevuto il first sure records of this mammal in the Pleisto- cene of Italy and the earliest in Western Europe. The dispersal of A. giulii from Asia is probably caused by Early Pleistocene transformations in Eastern Paratethys (CROITOR, 2009) and its occur- rence in Italy can be favoured by the geographical position of the Peninsula and the climate change of the late Early Pleistocene. Arvernoceros was re- ported in different sites of South-Eastern Europe and low stands of Adriatic sea level could have played a decisive role in the dispersal of this spe- cies when the climate turned progressively drier during the considered time span. However, a more detailed analysis is needed to verify this hypothe- sis and to better investigate the presence of this genus in Italy and its relationships with the other late Villafranchian deer. REFERENCES ABBAZZI L. (2004) - Remarks on the validity of the ge- neric name Praemegaceros Portis 1920, and an over- view on Praemegaceros species in Italy. Rend. Cl. Sci. Fis. Nat. Acc. Lincei s. 9, 15, 115-132. ABBAZZI L., CROITOR R. & DAVID A. 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