[Paleontology • 2026] Climate-extreme-driven Genesis of A Cretaceous Dinosaur Lagerstätte

 

 in Fanti, Consorti, Muscioni, Baldassari, Dinelli, Polentarutti, ... et Chiarenza. 2026. 

DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2026.105589 

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Artwork by palaeoartist Davide Bonadonna

Highlights: 

• Monsoon-driven storms created a Cretaceous dinosaur Lagerstätte.

• Tidal microcouplets yield an unprecedented ∼40-year chronometry.

• Synchrotron micro-XRF/XRD maps refute seasonal varve interpretation.

• Microbial mats enabled rapid sealing and exceptional soft-tissue preservation.

• New genetic model and toolkit for climate event-driven preservation in carbonates.

Abstract

Konservat-Lagerstätten provide exceptional records of past ecosystems, yet the environmental and climatic processes governing their formation in extreme climatic regimes remain a significant, unresolved conundrum. Here we present a novel, process-based mechanism for the Villaggio del Pescatore Konservat-Lagerstätte (northeastern Italy; Late Cretaceous, 80 Ma), which preserves a diverse terrestrial and aquatic biota. Integrating high resolution synchrotron micro-analyses, bulk geochemistry, detailed taphonomy and palaeoclimate simulations we identify a dynamic, monsoon-paced tidal flat ecosystem within a carbonate coastal margin. Field and core records comprise metrescale packages of laterally persistent light–dark laminae; microstratigraphic, spectral and statistical analyses indicate a semidiurnal tidal regime with neap–spring modulation. MicroXRF/XRD mapping reveals that individual microlaminae within couplets share the same elemental inventory refuting a seasonal varve origin. Laminae chronometry, tied to the tidal interpretation, constrains net accumulation of the fossil bearing rhythmites to decadal (∼40 year) timescales. Geochemical proxies record alternating terrigenous rich, high TOC intervals and drier, better oxygenated intervals. Palaeoclimate model ensembles diagnose a vigorous, summer dominated monsoon domain at ∼29° N under greenhouse boundary conditions. We document that episodic monsoon enhanced flood and tropical cyclone pulses delivered sediment, nutrients, carcasses and plant debris to a microbially active, carbonate tidal flat; microbial mats rapidly stabilised and promoted early cementation, enabling exceptional soft tissue preservation. We propose a genetic model in which monsoon–cyclone forcing, tidal trapping and microbial sealing combine to produce decadal, daily resolved vertebrate Lagerstätten in greenhouse settings, offering predictive targets for similar deposits and deep time analogues for modern coastal change.

Keywords: Exceptional fossil preservation, Dinosauria, Crocodylomorpha, Arthropoda, Plants, Italy

“Stormbringer” — palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of Villaggio del Pescatore
The artwork shows a Tethyshadros insularis carcass and an Acynodon crocodylian on a storm-swept tropical tidal flat, beneath the monsoon clouds and a distant cyclone that the study identifies as the engine of the site’s formation.

 by palaeoartist Davide Bonadonna. 

 

Federico Fanti, Lorenzo Consorti, Marco Muscioni, Lorenzo Baldassari, Enrico Dinelli, Maurizio Polentarutti, Giorgio Bais, Alexander Farnsworth, Evelyn Kustatscher, Amalia Spina and Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza. 2026. Climate-extreme-driven Genesis of A Cretaceous Dinosaur Lagerstätte. Global and Planetary Change.  265, October 2026, 105589. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2026.105589

 x.com/AAlechiarenza/status/2074802383733813269

[Botany • 2026] Mentha deleoi (Lamiaceae) • A New Species from Sicily

Mentha deleoi Raimondo,   

in Raimondo, 2026.

DOI: doi.org/10.3390/plants15040563 

Abstract

Mentha deleoi is described from Isola Grande, an islet in the Stagnone of Marsala (Trapani, NW Sicily), included within the homonymous Regional Oriented Nature Reserve. It is a perennial herb with an ephemeral annual cycle; in several morphological characters, it shows affinity with M. pulegium, a Eurimediterranean hemicryptophyte widely distributed in Sicily from coastal areas to high mountain habitats. Diagnostic and differential characters are provided, together with analyses of the biology, ecology, and chemistry of this new Sicilian endemic species. Owing to its extremely restricted distribution, small population size, and the potential impacts affecting the islet and its fragile habitat, resulting from centuries saliculture, a conservation plan is proposed, aimed at both in situ and ex situ protection. 

Keywords: Mediterranean flora; taxonomy; endemism; Sicily; biodiversity conservation; economic valorization 

Mentha deleoi in flowering: 

(a–c) in the spring; (d,e) in the summer; (e,f) plants with white flowers.

Mentha deleoi Raimondo sp. nov. 

Diagnosis: Species herbacea perennis, ciclo effimero, omnibus organis aeriis dense villosa. Differt a Mentha pulegium L. foliis ovatis ad oblongis, plerumque convolutis; scapis floriferis erectis vel decumbentibus-ascendentibus, in plantis maiore magnitudine longioribus; verticillasteribus numerosis, densis, contiguis et globosis; floribus plerumque lilacinis, rarius albis.

Etymology: The name of the new species commemorates Prof. Antonino De Leo (1905–1971), chemist and phytologist, and Professor of Systematic Botany at the University of Palermo. On 3 July 1971—just days after graduating in Agricultural Sciences from the University of Palermo—Prof. De Leo appointed the author as Curator of the Botanical Garden, introducing him to environmental and applied botany, which he pursued continuously for over fifty years. He was among the first researchers in Italy to initiate applied studies on the biology and chemistry of tropical and subtropical plants introduced and cultivated at the Botanical Garden, fields that he directed from 1968 until his untimely death in November 1971.

 Francesco Maria Raimondo. 2026. Mentha deleoi (Lamiaceae): A New Species from Sicily. Plants. 15(4); 563. DOI: doi.org/10.3390/plants15040563 [11 February 2026]

[Entomology • 2025] Ameles serpentiscauda • The Snake-tail Mantis: A New endemic Species of Dwarf Mantis (Mantodea: Amelidae) reveals A distinctive Mating Behavior and Complex Communication Patterns

 

Ameles serpentiscauda

Battiston, Maioglio, Corneti, Forni & Luchetti, 2025

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2025.2571110

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Abstract

A new species of dwarf mantis, Ameles serpentiscauda sp. nov. endemic to Sardinia (Italy) is described. This taxon displays a highly elaborate courtship behavior, characterized by coordinated movements of the abdomen, cerci and terminalia, which is reported here for the first time, and compared with known behavioral traits in the genus Ameles. An integrative framework has been used, combining these ethological data with detailed morphology and molecular phylogenetics. The latter approach places A. serpentiscauda as the sister taxon to A. andreae, despite pronounced divergence in wing morphology. This finding underscores the lability of wing development within Amelini, contrary to historical taxonomic assumptions. Behavioral clustering further supported the close relationship between A. serpentiscauda and A. andreae, highlighting a potential phylogenetic signal in courtship displays. However, distance‐matrix comparisons and linear modeling reveal that neither morphology nor phylogeny alone reliably predict behavioral divergence, suggesting hints of convergent adaptation. The discovery of a complex and idiosyncratic behavior in A. serpentiscauda reveals an unexpected communicative ability within solitary Mantodea. Moreover, our results demonstrate that ethological traits possess untapped potential as taxonomic characters, but should be approached with caution, as they may reflect repeated adaptations, rather than shared ancestry.

Key words: Ameles, courtship, behavior, phylogeny, ethology, morphology

 

Roberto Battiston, Oscar Maioglio, Simona Corneti, Giobbe Forni and Andrea Luchetti. 2025. The Snake-tail Mantis: A New endemic Species of dwarf mantis, Ameles serpentiscauda sp. nov., reveals a distinctive Mating Behavior and Complex Communication Patterns. Ethology Ecology & Evolution. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2025.2571110 [24 Nov 2025]

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[Paleontology • 2025] Latonia dimenticata • Why extant, Why not Extinct? A New extinct Latonia Species (Anura: Discoglossidae) from the Early Pleistocene of the Apennine Peninsula provides clues on the survival of the genus in Eurasia

 

 Latonia dimenticata 

 Sorbelli, Azzarà, Cherin, Delfino, Roček & Villa, 2025

 

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2025.2554727 

artwork: Leonardo Sorbelli

 

Abstract

Pietrafitta is one of the richest Early Pleistocene localities in the Italian Peninsula and it hosts one of the latest occurrences of the discoglossid frog Latonia in Europe. This occurrence is here described as a new species of Latonia, a large-bodied frog, potentially feeding on hard invertebrates in the Pietrafitta palaeoswamp. Our first attempt at the phylogenetic reconstruction of Latonia, based on a matrix consisting of 20 taxa and 39 characters, placed the new Italian species within a poorly understood clade that also includes Latonia caucasica from the Late Miocene of northern Caucasus. Almost all other extinct Latonia species make up a second clade, represented in the fossil record from the Oligocene and including the youngest occurrence of the genus in Europe, from the Middle Pleistocene of Hungary. The only extant species, Latonia nigriventer, was the earliest branching taxon in our topology, which could be due to its unique unsculptured morphology, a trait that may represent a secondary loss during the Quaternary. The exostosis on cranial bones, which is considered a diagnostic feature of the genus, might have developed in the earliest Latonia in response to pronounced warming and drought. Later, starting after the Middle Miocene, this exostosis underwent a reduction process, possibly triggered by cooling, that led to Plio–Pleistocene forms sharing a narrower frontoparietal with a less pustular sculpturing. Latonia dimenticata is a clear example of this frontoparietal morphology. Latonia nigriventer may have further evolved a completely unsculptured morphology to face rapid environmental changes in the last Quaternary glacial phases and ultimately facilitating its survival into the present day.  

Keywords: Quaternary, Italian Peninsula, Europe, Middle East, Latonia nigriventer, exostosis

Latonia dimenticata sp. nov. 

Leonardo Sorbelli, Beatrice Azzarà, Marco Cherin, Massimo Delfino, Zbyněk Roček and Andrea Villa. 2025. Why extant, Why not Extinct? A New extinct Latonia Species (Anura: Discoglossidae) from the Early Pleistocene of the Apennine Peninsula provides clues on the survival of the genus in Eurasia. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 23(1); 2554727. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2025.2554727 [10 Oct 2025]

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[PaleoMammalogy • 2025] Eophyseter damarcoi • A New Pliocene Sperm Whale (Odontoceti: Physeteridae) from Vigliano D’Asti, Piedmont, Northwest Italy

 

 Eophyseter damarcoi 

Bisconti, Daniello, Stecca & Carnevale, 2025

DOI: doi.org/10.54103/2039-4942/22338

Abstract

A new sperm whale species is described from the late Zanclean (Early Pliocene) of Piedmont, northwest Italy, based on a partial vertebral column and parts of the forelimb. The new taxon, Eophyseter damarcoi gen. nov. sp. nov., is characterized by elongated vertebral centra in the thoracic and lumbar regions of the vertebral column, wider and higher articular facets for the occipital condyles in the atlas, elliptical and dorsoventrally compressed posterior articular facet of the axis-bearing block, ulna with posteriorly convex margin. These characters distinguish Eophyseter damarcoi gen. nov. sp. nov.from other physeteroids and show that the vertebral proportions are differently arranged with respect to those of the extant sperm whale species. A phylogenetic analysis was performed to understand the relationships of Eophyseter damarcoi gen. nov. sp. nov. by adding 20 postcranial characters to a previous character x taxon matrix; it revealed that E. damarcoi gen. nov. sp. nov. forms a clade with P. macrocephalus. A taphonomic analysis suggested that the carcass of the holotype specimen of Eophyseter damarcoi gen. nov. sp. nov. was exploited by sharks and colonized by barnacles and molluscs; however, a quick burial prevented its total destruction by other invertebrates, as usual in the cetacean fossil record from the Pliocene of Piedmont.

Keywords: Italy; Physeteridae; Phylogeny; Eophyseter; Physeteroidea; Piedmont; Pliocene; Postcranial skeleton.

Reconstruction of the sperm whale Eophyseter damarcoi gen. nov sp. nov. (MGPTPU 13864, holotype). 
 B) Piero Damarco, to whom Eophyseter damarcoi gen. nov. sp. nov. is dedicated, applying the final touch to the skeleton MGPT-PU 13864 on display in Asti.

Class MAMMALIA Linnaeus, 1758 

Order Cetacea Brisson, 1762 

Clade Neoceti Fordyce & Muizon, 2001 

Parvorder Odontoceti Flower, 1867 

Superfamily Physeteroidea Gray, 1868 

Family Physeteridae Gray, 1821 

Genus Eophyseter gen. nov.

Etymology: Eo is a Greek word (ήώς) that means dawn, meaning ancestral, old. Physeter derives from the Greek φυσώ meaning blower. Diagnosis of genus: Eophyseter damarcoi gen. nov. sp. nov. shows a unique morphology of the atlas, in the axis-bearing cervical block, in the proportions of the vertebral column and in the ulna. 

Diagnostic characters are the following: (1) the atlas is characterized by articular facets for the occipital condyles that protrude dorsally to the body of the vertebra and reach the height of the superior surface of the neural arch; (2) the articular surface for occipital condyles are comparatively wider than those of all the other physeteroids in which the atlas is preserved, and their ventromedial portion is comparatively longer; (3) in the axis-bearing cervical block, the epiphysis of the 7th cervical vertebra is dorsoventrally compressed and transversely widened to form showing an elliptical outline (it is transversely narrow and rounder in all the other physeteroids in which the axis-bearing block is preserved); (4) the lengths of the vertebral centra are comparatively more elongated than those of physeterids in which the vertebral column is known; in particular, in a long portion of the thoracic and lumbar regions of the vertebral column, the lengths of the centra are almost equal to the corresponding widths and heights (this pattern contrasts with that of extant sperm whales in which the length values are lower than those of heights and widths); (5) the posterior border of the ulna is posteriorly convex rather than being straight or concave as in other physeterids in which the ulna is preserved.

Eophyseter damarcoi gen. nov. sp. nov.

Etymology: The patronymic damarcoi is to honor Piero Damarco (Fig. 2B) who coordinated and executed extensive preparation of the specimen and who dedicated his life to the discovery and curation of the fossil treasures of Piedmont, Northwest Italy

 

Michelangelo Bisconti, Riccardo Daniello, Riccardo Stecca and Giorgio Carnevale. 2025. A New Pliocene Sperm Whale from Vigliano D’Asti, Piedmont, Northwest Italy. RIVISTA ITALIANA di PALEONTOLOGIA e STRATIGRAFIA. 131(1): 139-175. DOI: doi.org/10.54103/2039-4942/22338

[PaleoMammalogy • 2024] New insights on the enigmatic Otters from the Late Miocene of Tuscany: Tyrrhenolutra maremmana nov. comb. (Carnivora: Mustelidae: Lutrinae), with A Phylogeny of bunodont otters

 Tyrrhenolutra maremmana Hürzeler, 1987

in Faggi, Bartolini-Lucenti et Rook, 2024. 

DOI: doi.org/10.54103/2039-4942/22479 

Artwork by Sara Scheggi

Abstract

Otters, subfamily Lutrinae (Mustelidae), are predators that thrive in aquatic environments, and have a semiaquatic to fully aquatic lifestyle. While modern otters are found across the globe, their fossil history is limited, primarily documented by fragmented dentognathic remains. In this work, we report on and describe new dental remains of a medium-sized Lutrinae from the Late Miocene of Baccinello and Casteani (Tuscany), improving the poor fossil record of the subfamily in Europe. Tyrrhenolutra helbingi Hürzeler, 1987 is a poorly known species, described on some dental remains from the Baccinello mines and a few other localities. Considering its peculiar morphology, it has often been overlooked in the scientific literature. Description of the material stored at the Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel and Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia dell’Università di Firenze offers new insights on the intraspecific variability and dental morphology of this taxon. The comparative study of these findings highlights several morphological and biometrical similarities between T. helbingi and Paludolutra maremmana Hürzeler, 1987, which allow us to redefine these taxa as Tyrrhenolutra maremmana nov. comb. We carried out a total-evidence cladistic analysis seeking support for morphometric and morphological similarities between T. “helbingi” and “P.” maremmana. The resulting parsimony analyses support the synonymy, excluding a close relationship of T. maremmana with Paludolutra of Italy and Spain, as previously thought. Furthermore, we confirm a long-forgotten hypothesis identifying Limnonyx Crusafont Pairó, 1950 as the possible continental ancestor of Tyrrhenolutra.

Keywords: Neogene; Baccinello; Carnivora; mustelid; taxonomy; cladistic.

Mandibles of Tyrrhenolutra maremmana nov. com. from Baccinello V1, Casteani and Montebamboli.
A-C) NMB.Bac.54, left and right hemimandible with right p2-m1 and left p2-m1, A: right buccal view; B: occlusal view; C: left buccal view.
D-F) NMB.Bac.52, left hemi-mandible with p2-m2, D: buccal view (mirrored); E: occlusal view; F: lingual view (mirrored).
G-H) NMB.Bac.55, right hemimandible fragment with c-p4, G: buccal view; H: occlusal view; I: lingual view.
J-K) IGF 11756c, left mandible with p2, m1 and m2, J: buccal view (mirrored); K: occlusal view; L: lingual view (mirrored).
M-O) MSNUP N.1, right mandible fragment with c, p3, p4, M: buccal view; N: occlusal view; O: lingual view.

Restoration of Tyrrhenolutra maremmana based on the cranial material from the Late Miocene of Tuscany.

 Artwork by Sara Scheggi

ANDREA FAGGI, SAVERIO BARTOLINI-LUCENTI and LORENZO ROOK. 2024. New insights on the enigmatic Otters from the Late Miocene of Tuscany: Tyrrhenolutra maremmana nov. comb. (Lutrinae, Mustelidae, Carnivora), with A Phylogeny of bunodont otters. Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia (Riv. It. Paleontol. Strat. - Research in Paleontology and Stratigraphy). 130(2); 259-284. DOI: doi.org/10.54103/2039-4942/22479 [July 2024]

[Botany • 2025] Solenopsis gutermannii (Campanulaceae) • A New Species from Kefalonia (Ionian Islands, Greece)

  

 Solenopsis gutermannii Brullo, Cambria, Costanzo& Giusso,
 

in Brullo, Gilli, Berger, Cambria, Costanzo, Siracusa et Galdo. 2025. 

DOI: doi.org/10.3390/taxonomy5010013 

Abstract

A new species of Solenopsis (Campanulaceae), S. gutermannii is described and illustrated. It is endemic to Kefalonia island, Greece, where it is very rare and localized in flat clay surfaces that are periodically submerged. This species is a very small annual hygrophyte, characterized by rosulate leaves or with slightly caulescent stems, long-pedunculated flowers, bilabiate corolla, and papillate near the throat. It exhibits close affinities primarily with S. minuta, with which it was previously identified, and additionally with S. antiphonitis, due to similarities in habit and certain flower traits. Nevertheless, several relevant morphological features serve to distinguish it from these species. Its morphology, seed coat and pollen SEM micro-sculpturing, ecology, phenology, distribution, conservation status, and taxonomic relationships are also examined.

Keywords: Lobelioideae; Mediterranean region; morphology; pollen; seed testa; Solenopsis; taxonomy

 Solenopsis gutermannii from type locality.
(A) Habit; (B) Habit magnification (×2); (C) Leaves; (D) Bracteoles; (E) Flower (frontal view); (F) Flower (lateral view); (G) Open corolla; (H) Open calyx; (I) Calyx with capsule; (J) Anthers (frontal view); (K) Anthers (lateral view); (L) Style and stigma; (M) Corolla papillae; (N) Seeds.

Drawing: S. Brullo.

 Habit of living plants of  Solenopsis gutermannii from Kefalonia.
(A) Stemless individual. (B) Caulescent individual.

 Solenopsis gutermannii Brullo, Cambria, Costanzo& Giusso, sp. nov.  

Diagnosis: Solenopsis gutermannii is similar to S. minuta in having usually rosulate leaves, bracteole indumentum, and corolla colour, but it differs in having a permanent annual habit, being acaulescent or briefly scapose, having a leaf rosette 1.2–2 cm in diameter, leaves no more than 12 mm long, with blade entire or weakly crenate without glands at the margin, usually smaller, with a smaller bracteole, smaller calyx (2.5–3.3 mm long), shorter calyx lobes, shorter corolla (6–7 mm long), smaller upper lips of the corolla (2.5–2.7 × 1.8–2.2 mm), not papillate, shorter lower lip of the corolla (3.7–4.2 mm long), papillate at the base, with papillae usually being shorter (0.02–0.2 mm), the staminal filaments and anther tube usually being shorter, the capsule being smaller and papillose, and the seeds smaller.

Etymology: The species is dedicated to the late Walter Gutermann, Austrian botanist from Vienna (1935–2023), and expert on the flora of Austria and the Ionian Islands (Greece), who was the first to discover this species in Kefalonia.

Salvatore Brullo, Christian Gilli, Andreas Berger, Salvatore Cambria, Emanuele Costanzo,Giuseppe Siracusa and Gianpietro Giusso del Galdo. 2025. Solenopsis gutermannii (Campanulaceae), a New Species from Kefalonia (Ionian Islands, Greece). Taxonomy. 5(1); 13; DOI: doi.org/10.3390/taxonomy5010013  [7 March 2025]

[Paleontology • 2024] The Marine Conservation Deposits of Monte San Giorgio (Switzerland & Italy): the Prototype of Triassic Black Shale Lagerstätten

 

The marine conservation deposits of Monte San Giorgio (Switzerland, Italy): the prototype of Triassic black shale Lagerstätten.

in Klug, Spiekman, Bastiaans, Scheffold et Scheyer, 2024.

 DOI: 10.1186/s13358-024-00308-7 

Abstract

Marine conservation deposits (‘Konservat-Lagerstätten’) are characterized by their mode of fossil preservation, faunal composition and sedimentary facies. Here, we review these characteristics with respect to the famous conservation deposit of the Besano Formation (formerly Grenzbitumenzone; including the Anisian–Ladinian boundary), and the successively younger fossil-bearing units Cava inferiore, Cava superiore, Cassina beds and the Kalkschieferzone of Monte San Giorgio (Switzerland and Italy). We compare these units to a selection of important black shale-type Lagerstätten of the global Phanerozoic plus the Ediacaran in order to detect commonalities in their facies, genesis, and fossil content using principal component and hierarchical cluster analyses. Further, we put the Monte San Giorgio type Fossillagerstätten into the context of other comparable Triassic deposits worldwide based on their fossil content. The results of the principal component and cluster analyses allow a subdivision of the 45 analysed Lagerstätten into four groups, for which we suggest the use of the corresponding pioneering localities: Burgess type for the early Palaeozoic black shales, Monte San Giorgio type for the Triassic black shales, Holzmaden type for the pyrite-rich black shales and Solnhofen type for platy limestones.

Keywords: Konservat-Lagerstätten, Taphonomy, Marine reptiles, Exceptional preservation

Three important marine reptiles from the Middle Triassic of Monte San Giorgio with their reconstructions, recently crafted by Beat Scheffold. 

A Tanystropheus, PIMUZ T 2817. B Cyamodus, PIMUZ T58. C, Mixosaurus, PIMUZ T 4923 (top) and PIMUZ T 4376 (bottom)

Fossilized foetuses inside the mother, examples from the Middle Triassic of Monte San Giorgio. A Mixosaurus, PIMUZ T 4830 (e.g., Brinkmann, 1996; Miedema et al., 2023). B Saurichthys, PIMUZ T 3917 (e.g., Maxwell et al., 2018)

Fossilized mollusks from the Middle Triassic of Monte San Giorgio (see Rieber, 1969, 1970, 1973; Pieroni, 2022). 

A, Proarcestes extralabiatus, internal mould. B, Repossia acutenodosa, silicified internal mould. C, Proarcestes extralabiatus, external mould. D, Phragmoteuthis ticinensis with complete arm crown, cephalic cartilage, oesophagus and ink sac. E, Daonella caudata. F, Pleuronautilus sp., internal mould

Some animals from Monte San Giorgio.
 Note that not all of the depicted taxa may have co-occurred in time or in space (habitat depth, etc.). At Monte San Giorgio, the water depth was likely greater then shown in these images.
A Meride Limestone (Ladinian). B Besano Formation (Anisian)

Reconstructions by Beat Scheffold.  

Conclusions: 

The conservation deposits of Anisian and Ladinian age of Monte San Giorgio, comprising the Besano Formation, Cava inferiore, Cava superiore, Cassina Beds, and the Kalkschieferzone, represent some of the first black shale conservation deposits of Triassic age that were thoroughly studied. Now, after a century of excavations and more than a century of research, these deposits begin to enjoy global scientific recognition (e.g., Etter, 2002a; Rieppel, 2019), and continue to produce valuable new information about the palaeobiology and evolution of Triassic vertebrates today.

With this paper, we want to highlight the key role of the conservation deposits of Monte San Giorgio: comparable to the pioneer role of the Burgess Shale for the Cambrian Lagerstätten or Solnhofen for the Mesozoic platy limestones, we highlight the pioneer role of the Besano Formation in particular as the prototype for Triassic Lagerstätten. Our simple comparison of 45 Fossillagerstätten worldwide employing principal component and hierarchical cluster analyses of 32 traits based on the ...

Christian Klug, Stephan N. F. Spiekman, Dylan Bastiaans, Beat Scheffold and Torsten M. Scheyer. 2024. The Marine Conservation Deposits of Monte San Giorgio (Switzerland, Italy): the Prototype of Triassic Black Shale Lagerstätten.  Swiss Journal of Palaeontology. 143, 11. DOI: doi.org/10.1186/s13358-024-00308-7 

 

[Paleontology • 2024] Cranial Anatomy of Acynodon adriaticus and extreme durophagous adaptations in Eusuchia (Reptilia: Crocodylomorpha)

 

Acynodon adriaticus Delfino, Martin & Buffetaut, 2008

in Muscioni, Chiarenza, Fernandez, Dreossi, Bacchia et Fanti. 2024.   

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/ar.25574

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Artwork by Davide Bonadonna   facebook.com/DavideBonadonna1

Abstract

Acynodon adriaticus, a small eusuchian from the Late Cretaceous of Italy, is known for its well-preserved cranial and postcranial material. Despite its excellent preservation, many details remain hidden due to the physical overlap between the elements and matrix obliteration. We used Micro-CT scans to reveal previously overlooked anatomical features and describe in detail the cranial and dental anatomy of this taxon, shedding new light on its palaeoecology. The holotypic specimen, SC 57248, represents a mature individual exhibiting signs of hyperossification, developed ornamentation, and various pathologies, including jaw arthritis and a possible dental anomaly. Acynodon adriaticus exhibits significant durophagous adaptations, including a robust, brevirostrine skull optimized for powerful biting and stress-load capacity. Its specialized dentition, lacking caniniform teeth, features anterior chisel-like teeth and hypertrophic posterior molariforms with thick enamel, indicative of a diet specializing in hard-shelled prey. The dentition pattern, accelerated molariform replacement rate, and reduced orbit size suggest adaptations for durophagous foraging in turbid, densely vegetated aquatic environments. The paleoecological context during the Late Cretaceous, characterized by increased freshwater habitats and high invertebrate diversity, likely facilitated the evolution of such specialized traits in A. adriaticus. This small crocodylomorph likely foraged slowly in shallow, benthic environments, using its powerful bite to process mollusks and large arthropods. The study of A. adriaticus, along with comparisons with other crocodylomorphs and ecomorphologically similar taxa like Iharkutosuchus makadii and Gnatusuchus pebasensis, provides a valuable morphofunctional model for understanding the evolutionary pathways of extinct crocodylians to durophagy.

Keywords: Acynodon, Cretaceous, durophagy, Hylaeochampsidae, paleobiology

  Systematic paleontology

Crocodylomorpha Hay, 1930 sensu Nesbitt, 2011.

Neosuchia Benton & Clark, 1988.

Eusuchia Huxley, 1875 sensu Brochu, 2003.

Hylaeochampsidae Andrews, 1913.

Acynodon Buscalioni et al., 1997.

Acynodon adriaticus Delfino et al., 2008.

Schematic individual cranial bones of MCSNT 57248 in dorsal (a), ventral (b), lateral (c) and posterior (d) view. ...

 

Marco Muscioni, Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza, Diego Bladimir Haro Fernandez, Diego Dreossi, Flavio Bacchia, Federico Fanti. 2024. Cranial Anatomy of Acynodon adriaticus and extreme durophagous adaptations in Eusuchia (Reptilia: Crocodylomorpha). The Anatomical Record. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/ar.25574

  facebook.com/AnatomicalRecord/posts/1042639271202269

  facebook.com/DavideBonadonna1/posts/1077033717762273

Nuove scoperte sul fossile di un coccodrillo di 80 milioni di anni al Villaggio del Pescatore

 www.nationalgeographic.it/nuove-scoperte-sul-fossile-di-un-coccodrillo-di-80-milioni-di-anni-al-villaggio-del-pescatore

[Paleontology • 2024] Postcranial Anatomy of Besanosaurus leptorhynchus (Reptilia: Ichthyosauria) from the Middle Triassic Besano Formation of Monte San Giorgio (Italy/Switzerland), with Implications for Reconstructing the Swimming Styles of Triassic Ichthyosaurs

Besanosaurus leptorhynchus Dal Sasso & Pinna, 1996
Artistic reconstruction (based on BES SC 999) catching a Phragmoteuthis. 

in Bindellini, Wolniewicz, Miedema, Dal Sasso et Scheyer, 2024.

DOI: 10.1186/s13358-024-00330-9 

 x.com/ASWolniewicz

 Artwork by Alessio Ciaffi

Abstract

Besanosaurus leptorhynchus Dal Sasso & Pinna, 1996 was originally described on the basis of a single complete fossil specimen excavated near Besano (Italy). However, a recent taxonomic revision and re-examination of the cranial osteology allowed for the assignment of five additional specimens to the taxon. Here, we analyse, describe and discuss the postcranial anatomy of Besanosaurus leptorhynchus in detail. The size of the specimens examined herein ranged from slightly more than one meter to eight meters. Overall, several diagnostic character states for this taxon are proposed, demonstrating a mosaic of plesiomorphic and derived features. This is best exemplified by the limbs, which show very rounded elements in the forelimbs, and pedal phalanges with retained rudimentary shafts. We suggest that the widely spaced phalanges in the forefins of Besanosaurus leptorhynchus were embedded in a fibrocartilage-rich connective tissue, like in modern cetaceans. We also review the similarities of Besanosaurus with Pessopteryx and Pessosaurus, allowing us to conclude that Besanosaurus is not a junior synonym of either of the two taxa. Lastly, to test the swimming capabilities of Besanosaurus leptorhynchus, we expanded on a previously published study focussing on reconstructing the swimming styles of ichthyosaurs. Besanosaurus leptorhynchus was found to possess a peculiar locomotory mode, somewhat intermediate between anguilliform swimmers, such as Cymbospondylus and Utatsusaurus, and some shastasaur-grade (e.g., Guizhouichthyosaurus) and early-diverging euichthyosaurian (e.g., Californosaurus) ichthyosaurs. Based on our results, we furthermore suggest that mixosaurids acquired their characteristic body profile (dorsal fin and forefins that are distinctly enlarged compared to the hindfins) independently and convergently to the one that later appeared in Parvipelvia. Moreover, the different swimming styles inferred for Cymbospondylus, Mixosauridae, and Besanosaurus strengthen the earlier hypothesis of niche partitioning among these three distinct ichthyosaur taxa from the Besano Formation.

Keywords: Ichthyosauria, Shastasauridae, Middle Triassic, Besano Formation, Monte San Giorgio, Postcranial anatomy, Osteology, Phylogeny, Swimming style, Marine reptiles

Artistic reconstruction of Besanosaurus leptorhynchus (based on BES SC 999) catching a Phragmoteuthis. Two individuals of Mixosaurus and a shoal of the ammonoid Ceratites can be seen in the background to the left of Besanosaurus leptorhynchus. Some ammonoids of the genus Serpianites are visible swimming around the large ichthyosaur and a single individual of the same ammonoid is depicted in the foreground on the right, along with other specimens of Phragmoteuthis.

 Artwork by Alessio Ciaffi

 

Gabriele Bindellini, Andrzej S. Wolniewicz, Feiko Miedema, Cristiano Dal Sasso and Torsten M. Scheyer. 2024. Postcranial Anatomy of Besanosaurus leptorhynchus (Reptilia: Ichthyosauria) from the Middle Triassic Besano Formation of Monte San Giorgio (Italy/Switzerland), with Implications for Reconstructing the Swimming Styles of Triassic Ichthyosaurs. Swiss Journal of Palaeontology. 143: 32. DOI: doi.org/10.1186/s13358-024-00330-9

  x.com/ASWolniewicz/status/1833548304040317084

[Botany • 2024] Cyclamen brulloi (Primulaceae) • A New Species from Sicily (Italy)

Cyclamen brulloi  Cambria, Giusso, Minissale, Tavilla & Salmeri,

in Cambria, Galdo, Minissale, Tavilla et Salmeri, 2024. 

DOI: 10.1007/s12225-024-10207-2

Summary

A new species, Cyclamen brulloi, is described and illustrated from Sicily (Italy). This is an Autumn flowering species belonging to Cyclamen subg. Cyclamen and it is currently restricted to some localities of western Sicily, where it grows on carbonatic rocks and in rocky crevices. This taxon shows close relationships both with C. hederifolium and C. africanum. However, several morphological and karyological features are clearly different. Morphology, pollen grain micromorphology, karyology (2n = 4x = 68), ecology, conservation status and taxonomic relationships of the new taxon with the most allied species are presented.

Key Words: chromosome, endemic, karyomorphometry, Mediterranean flora, Myrsinoideae, pollen, taxonomy

A flower; B petal; C ovary and style.
1 Cyclamen brulloi; 2 C. africanum; 3 C. hederifolium subsp. hederifolium.

Drawn by S. Brullo.

Cyclamen brulloi. A habit; B flowers; C leaf blade; D flowering plant; E tuber; F mature leaves; G adult tuber and flowers.

Cyclamen brulloi Cambria, Giusso, Minissale, Tavilla & Salmeri, sp. nov.

Etymology. The specific epithet is given in honour of Salvatore Brullo, active botanist of Catania University and specialist in the taxonomy of many genera of the Mediterranean flora, to whom the authors express their strong gratitude for his fundamental teachings and suggestions in botanical studies.

 S. Cambria, G. Giusso del Galdo, P. Minissale, G. Tavilla and C. Salmeri. 2024. Cyclamen brulloi (Primulaceae), A New Species from Sicily (Italy). Kew Bulletin.  DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s12225-024-10207-2

[Arachnida • 2024] Typhlonesticus angelicus & T. santinellii • Two New Subterranean Typhlonesticus (Araneae: Nesticidae) from the Alps with Notes on their Ecology, Distribution and Conservation

[A, D] Typhlonesticus angelicus sp. nov., [B, F] T. morisii (Brignoli) and [C, H] T. santinellii sp. nov. 

in Isaia, Nicolosi, Infuso et Ribera, 2024.

 DOI: 10.3897/asp.81.e106948

Abstract

The spider genus Typhlonesticus Kulczyński, 1914 (Araneae: Nesticidae) includes seven species, most of which exhibiting strict preference for caves, abandoned mines and other subterranean habitats. In Italy the genus is represented by two species: T. morisii (Brignoli, 1975), an extremely narrow endemic species from SW-Alps with a very high level of subterranean adaptation and T. idriacus (Roewer, 1931), showing a much wider distribution in NE-Italy and poor adaptations to subterranean life. Our recent biospeleological surveys in the Alps lead to the discovery of new populations of highly troglomorphic Typhlonesticus that proved to belong to two new species based on morphological and molecular data. Considering the rarity of these new species, we provide general information on their ecology and distribution, including a comparative analysis of troglomorphic traits in Typhlonesticus in relation to biogeographic factors. Information on the conservation status, useful for assessing their extinction risk based on International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines, is also provided.

Keywords: Alpine subterranean fauna, Biogeography, Endemic species, Extinction risk, Systematics, Troglomorphism

Live specimens of Typhlonesticus angelicus sp. nov. (A male), T. morisii (Brignoli) (B female) and T. santinellii sp. nov. (C female) in their natural habitats.
The entrance of Grotta superiore delle Camoscere [Pi 250], type locality of T. angelicus sp. nov. (D), the military bunker of Sotterranei di Vernante, type locality of T. morisii (Brignoli) (E, F);
the walls of “Galleria del Pozzo’’ within the mining complex of Gorno, type locality of T. santinellii sp. nov. (G); the entrance of Murdosso cave [Lo BG 7407], where the first female of T. santinellii sp. nov. was collected during the unblocking operations of the cave conducted by the local speleological groups “Underland” and “I Tassi” (H).

Family Nesticidae Simon, 1894

Genus Typhlonesticus Kulczyński, 1914

 Typhlonesticus angelicus Isaia and Ribera, sp. nov.

Etymology: The species is dedicated to Angelo Morisi (1943–2016) beloved Piedmontese natural scientist, expert in reptiles, amphibians, cave-dwelling invertebrates, freshwater macroinvertebrates, fishes and lichens. Angelo was a kind-hearted, altruist and caring natural scientist, pioneer of the biospeleological research in Piedmont, and first collector of several rare troglobiont species that still carry his name, including Typhlonesticus morisii, sister species of T. angelicus sp. nov. The specific epithet is in form of adjective and conjugates the name of Angelo and the features of benevolent immortal beings with a translucent body of light, barely visible to the human eye.

  Typhlonesticus santinellii Isaia and Ribera, sp. nov.

Etymology: The species is dedicated to the speleologist Roberto “Robertone” Santinelli, who first collected the female specimen in Murdosso cave, allowing the diagnosis of the new species. Noun in genitive.

Conclusions: 

Combining morphological and genetic evidence, we revealed the existence of two new species of Typhlonesticus, the oldest evolutionary lineage of Nesticid spiders in Europe. The new species are characterised by a high level of adaptation to the subterranean environment, confirming the extraordinary richness of subterranean diversity in the Alps. Using a trait-based approach, we inferred how highly troglomorphic Typhlonesticus are particularly vulnerable to environmental changes, and in particular we interpreted their isolation and their small distribution ranges as critical conditions amplifying their extinction risk, especially from a global warming perspective. We particularly address this issue by recommending further studies focusing on the thermal tolerance of these species, aiming at understanding their possible response to increasing global temperatures.

  Marco Isaia, Giuseppe Nicolosi, Alessandro Infuso and Carles Ribera. 2024. Two New Subterranean Typhlonesticus (Araneae: Nesticidae) from the Alps with Notes on their Ecology, Distribution and Conservation. Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny. 81: 801-818. DOI:  10.3897/asp.81.e106948