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The role of coastal areas in the Neogene-Quaternary mammal island populations of the central Mediterranean

2002; eScholarship Publishing, University of California; Volume: 23; Linguagem: Inglês

10.21426/b623110004

1594-7629

Federico Masini, Laura Bonfiglio, Daria Petruso, Cinzia Marra Antonella, L. Abbazzi, Massimo Delfino, F. Fanfani, Danilo Torre,

Geology and Paleoclimatology Research

Biogeographia vol. XXIII - 2002 (Pubblicato il 1” ottobre 2002) Biogeografia degli ambienti costieri The role of coastal areas in the Neogene—Quaternary mammal island populations of the central Mediterranean‘ FEDERICO MASlNl*, LAURA BONFlGLlO**, DARIA PETRUSO*, ANTONELLA CTNZLA **, LAURA ABBAZZl***, MASSIMO DELFiNO***, FLAVIANO FANFANl***, DANILO TORRE*** *Dz'pzzrti77m2r0 di Geolagizz e Geodesia, C50 Tukoiy I3], 1- 90134 Pzzlermo (Italy ) e—mzzz'[fimz5z'nz' @um}gzz. it **Dz}uzrtz'mmto di Scimze dz/[:2 Term, Via Sperozze, 31- ./398166 Santflgara dzq M€55i7Zfl (ME) (Italy) e-mzzz'[: /zzzmz @/zzeczzrt. zmime. it ***Dipzzrrz'mem‘o di Scienze del/zz Term 6 M11520 di Storizz Nzzrzmz/6 rezizme Ge0—Pzz[e0I2r0Zogz'czz, Via G. Lzz Pin: 4, 1-5012] Firmze (Italy) e—mzzz'[: pzzleoz/ert@ce.rz't]. umfi. it Keywords: Vertebrate palaeontology, islands, neogenoquaternary, Mediterranean. models, case histories SUMMARY The fossil record, even with its severe limitations and uncertainties, provides the only direct access to the chronological and paleogeographical dimension of biological events and processes that took place in ancient insular environments in completely natural conditions. Terrestrial mammals, unlike other land vertebrates such as reptiles, have a high metabolic rate that requires large amounts of food and Water. This would lead one to expect that land mammals could not cross extended expanses of deep water. Differing abilities in colonising islands in large versus small mammals are also expected. One can roughly distinguish three groups of models to explain the occurrence of mammals on islands: 1) Insular mammals are the relics of a previous population (vicariance); 2) Mammals reached the island through filtering barriers ofvarious intensity (dispersals); 3) A third possible dispersal mechanism, is passive * Wor‘l( supported by grants CoFin MURST 1999 “Paleogeografia del Mediterraneo centrale dal Miocene al Quaternario — Central Mediterranean paleogegraphy from Miocene to Quaternaryq.