The Pleistocene non-hominid vertebrate ichnofossil record of Italy

Abstract

This work presents the current knowledge on the Quaternary vertebrate ichnological record (excluding the hominid data) of peninsular and insular. In particular, the data concerning different Pleistocene localities of Sardinia (e.g. Capo Mannu and Funtana Morimenta) and the Middle Pleistocene Foresta "Devil's Trails" ichnosite of Roccamonfina Volcano (Campania) are here discussed. In the Pleistocene record of Sardinia are known four ichnotaxa: Bifidipes aff. B. aeolis as regard the Early Pleistocene, and Proboscipeda panfamilia McNeil, Hills, Tolman, and Kooyman (2007), Bifidipes isp. and Canipeda isp. as concerning the Middle-Late Pleistocene. Four ichnotaxa are identified also in the Middle Pleistocene ichnosite of Foresta “Devil’s Trails”: Proboscipeda panfamilia, McNeil, Hills, Tolman, and Kooyman 2007, Ursichnus isp., Hippipeda isp., and the ichno-order Pecoripedia (? Ichnosubgenus Cervipeda).

The systematics of the mammal ichnofossils and the putative trackmakers are discussed and, furthermore, the ages, the stratigraphic and geological data are briefly treated to suggest the relative paleoenvironmental contexts.