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Considerazioni sull'origine della fauna siciliana

1957; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 24; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/11250005709438273

2385-1929

Marcello La Grega,

Mediterranean and Iberian flora and fauna

Summary The principal ideas on the paleogeography of Sicily are considered, and, although these do not often agree on points of capital importance, nevertheless all of them recognize that the actual unity of the island, is a fact occured on the half of the Quaternary age (or at least at the beginning of this era) for the emerging of a central area, which has connected a northern section to the southern one (Ihlei). Probably during the quaternary glaciations, connections with Calabria took place; extremely unlikely are the connections with North Africa during Pleistocene times; there were probably participations of Sicily to the Thyrrenid lands during the Pontic times (at least for the northern section). Sicilian fauna includes the following priucipal groups: species with wide distribution (holopalaearctic, eurosibyric, mediterranean, holoarctic). species with occidental mediterranean distribution (including forms issued from Thyrrenian lands) species with siculo-african distribution. species with oriental mediterranean distribution. endemic forms. Of these groups the richest for number of species are the first (to which the most banal forms from the biogeographical point of wiew belong) and the second, which is present for an important proportion, who gives his character to the Sicilian fauna. The third group (siculo-african species) in spite of the most current opinion, is the poorest and the less meaningful of all of them.