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Hemisyntrachelus cortesii (Cetacea, Delphinidae) from the Pliocene sediments of Campore Quarry (Salsomaggiore Terme, Italy)
Abstract
Cited By (since 1996):10, Export Date: 4 July 2013, Source: Scopus, Language of Original Document: English, Correspondence Address: Bianucci, G.; Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, via S. Maria 53, 56126 Pisa, Italy, References: Balsamo Crivelli, G., Memoria per servire all'illustrazione dei grandi mammiferi fossili esistenti nell'I.R. Gabinetto di Santa Teresa in Milano e cenno sovra due mammiferi fossili trovati nella lignite di Leffe nella provincia di Bergamo (1842) Giorn. R. Ist. Lomb. Sci. Let. Art. Bibl. Ital., 3, pp. 297-319;
... A skull of Hemisyntrachelus sp., recovered at Rio Stramonte (Fig. 1, section 6), was attributed to Piacenzian (Bianucci, 1997a). H. cortesii and Balaenoptera sp., recovered in Campore section (Fig. 1, section 11), were referred to the upper part of Globorotalia puncticulata biozone (sensu Iaccarino and Salvatorini, 1982) (Bianucci, 1997b). Bisconti (2007b), with ecobiostratigraphic data, suggested an age between 3.55 and 3.10 Ma for Archaebalaenoptera castriarquati recovered in Rio Carbonari section. ...
... Hemysintrachelus cortesii Bianucci (1997b) a Plastotype of holotype destroyed in Natural History Museum of Milano during the II World War. b Holotype. ...
... At the base of the section, two almost complete Hemysintrachelus cortesii skeletons (MPST-240510, MPST-240509) and an incomplete skeleton referred to Balaenoptera sp. (MPST-240507) were found (Bianucci, 1997b;Freschi and Raineri, 2014). For the stratigraphic data above reported, the three cetacean specimens of the Campore could have an age comprised between 3.20 and 3.10 Ma. ...
... Service, Norwich, UK SMNK -Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde, Karlsruhe, Germany Y -private collection of mr C. van Hooydonk of Rucphen, the Netherlands ZMA -Zoölogisch Museum, Universiteit van Amsterdam, the Netherlands Slijper (1936) stated that Hemisyntrachelus differs from other delphinid genera (such as Tursiops and Orcinus) by the shape of the lumbar vertebrae and the articulation of the ribs. In his emended diagnosis of the genus Bianucci (1996Bianucci ( , 1997 compared Hemisyntrachelus to Tursiops and listed the following distinctive characters: sturdy vertebrae, atlas with a dorso-ventrally compressed neural arch and pointed transverse processes, broad base of a long rostrum, not narrowing premaxilla on the apical portion of the rostrum, deep and narrow antorbital notch, square-shaped neurocranium in dorsal view, anterior location of the robust antorbital process of the frontal, periotic with robust anterior process and low pars cochlearis with wide external auditory window, broad tympanic -in ventral view -with a narrow medial lobe, short dental rows with 14-16 robust teeth and short mandibular symphysis. Moreover Bianucci (1997) considers the robust anterior process of the periotic as distinctive for the genus. ...
... In his emended diagnosis of the genus Bianucci (1996Bianucci ( , 1997 compared Hemisyntrachelus to Tursiops and listed the following distinctive characters: sturdy vertebrae, atlas with a dorso-ventrally compressed neural arch and pointed transverse processes, broad base of a long rostrum, not narrowing premaxilla on the apical portion of the rostrum, deep and narrow antorbital notch, square-shaped neurocranium in dorsal view, anterior location of the robust antorbital process of the frontal, periotic with robust anterior process and low pars cochlearis with wide external auditory window, broad tympanic -in ventral view -with a narrow medial lobe, short dental rows with 14-16 robust teeth and short mandibular symphysis. Moreover Bianucci (1997) considers the robust anterior process of the periotic as distinctive for the genus. Most of the postcranial and cranial characters cannot be recognized unambiguously in fragmented fossils, but mandibular characters in Hemisyntrachelus are remarkably constant and easy to quantify, as well as welldifferentiated from other delphinid genera ( Fig. 2), to the extent that even fragments of mandibulae can be identified unambiguously. ...
... Eubalaena, Delphinapterus, Alachtherium), while others, such as Hemisyntrachelus, may have been restricted to the latest Pliocene. In Italy, Hemisyntrachelus occurred throughout the entire Pliocene (Bianucci 1996(Bianucci , 1997. Pilleri & Siber (1989) described Tursiops oligodon from the Early Pliocene Pisco Formation of Peru and remarked on its resemblance to Italian Tursiops (= Hemisyntrachelus) cortesii. ...
... Avio Martini. A partire dalla seconda metà degli anni '60 infatti, l'intensa erosione operata dalle acque del torrente Stirone portò alla luce una successione sedimentaria neogenico-quaternaria particolarmente ricca di macroinvertebrati marini (come molluschi, brachiopodi, coralli, crostacei) e macrovertebrati (cetacei e faune quaternarie) che attirò l'interesse della popolazione e delle istituzioni locali e, in breve tempo, quella del mondo scientifico italiano ed internazionale (Papani & Pelosio, 1962;Marasti, 1973;Pelosio & Raffi, 1977;Cigala-Fulgosi, 1980;Iaccarino, 1996;Bianucci, 1996bBianucci, , 1997Dominici, 2001;Monegatti et al., 2001;Ceregato et al., 2007;Uchman & Pervesler, 2007). L'interesse suscitato da questi reperti stimolò la nascita di alcune associazioni di paleontofili, tra cui il citato "Gruppo Paleontofili Salsesi", che negli anni seguenti intrapresero un'intensa attività di monitoraggio degli affioramenti e di recupero dei reperti, creando così il primo nucleo della collezione. ...
... L'intensa attività di ricerca del gruppo di paleontofili portò alla scoperta di altri scheletri di cetacei. Nei primi anni '90, dalle argille plioceniche dell'ex cava di Campore (Salsomaggiore Terme), vennero alla luce i resti di due delfinidi (MPST -240510; MPST -240509) e parte di un cranio e colonna vertebrale pressoché completa di un misticeto (MPST -240507) (Bianucci, 1996b(Bianucci, , 1997. Nel 1996, sempre nei sedimenti miocenici presso l'alveo del torrente Stirone in località "La Bocca", furono recuperati i resti parziali di un altro misticeto (MPST -240506) e negli anni successivi altre ossa isolate saranno rinvenute presso la stessa località (MPST -240508). ...
... 3), ma attende ancora uno studio filogenetico di dettaglio. I due delfinidi recuperati nella cava di Campore, risultano appartenere a Hemisyntrachelus cortesii (Bianucci, 1997) (fig. 4), un odontoceto molto diffuso nei sedi- menti pliocenici italiani, in particolare del margine appenninico padano, affine agli attuali generi Orcinus, Pseudorca e Feresa (Bianucci, 1996a(Bianucci, , 2005. ...
This paper recreates the history and the birth of the recent Palaeontological Museum “The Ancient Sea” in
Salsomaggiore Terme (Parma, Italy), which contains an interesting collection of fossil cetaceans discovered in the
last 30 years by Raffaele Quarantelli and recovered by himself with the help of the group “Paleontofili Salsesi.”
The collection includes five skeletal remains, recovered in the sediments of the Stirone-river Miocene and Pliocene
sediments of the former quarry area of Campore, as well as a series of isolated cetacean fossil bones. Among the
skeletal findings stands out, for its completeness and scientific interest, the holotype of Plesiobalaenoptera quarantellii.
... Alternative hypotheses for the phylogenetic positions of other extinct relatives of Orca were also explored. Not surprisingly, the next shortest trees placed some of these extinct taxa as closer to globicephalines, a result suggested in previous studies (Bianucci, 1996(Bianucci, , 1997. In trees 2.41 steps longer, Hemisyntrachelus is monophyletic, and this grouping is supported by only two character states: anterior third of premaxillae separated by a narrow fissure (13: state 3) and 14 to 16 maxillary teeth (32:2). ...
... In this suboptimal tree, Hemisyntrachelus is the sister-group to "T." osennae, and the clade of these three species is the sister-group to the clade of Orcaella + Globicephalinae. The length of this particular topology is largely driven by H. cortesii, which is known from multiple skulls and skeletons (Bianucci, 1996(Bianucci, , 1997. In trees just 0.96 steps longer, H. cortesi remains as the sister-group of Orcinus, but H. pisanus is the sister-group of "T." osennae, and the latter two are deeply nested within Globicephalinae as the sister-group of Pseudorca + Rododelphis. ...
Reaching body lengths of 9 m, killer whales (Orcinus orca) are the top mammalian predators of the present day oceans. These distinctive, cosmopolitan dolphins feature an extremely broad and diverse trophic spectrum, ranging from mollusks like octopuses and squids to other toothed whales and even baleen whales. Due to the lack of fossils that can be confidently assigned to Orcinus or close relatives thereof, the evolutionary origin of extant killer whales has rarely been addressed. Here, we provide an updated and thorough reappraisal of the systematics, phylogeny and feeding behavior of Orcinus citoniensis from the Pliocene of Tuscany (Italy), the only fossil species of killer whale currently known on the basis of diagnostic material. Our systematic and phylogenetic reassessment confirms that O. citoniensis is a bona fide species of Orcinus that mostly differs from the extant O. orca by virtue of a smaller body size (ca. 3.5 m). Besides Orcinus spp., the subfamily Orcininae is here recognized as a relatively early branching clade of delphinids that also includes the Italian Pliocene species “Tursiops” osennae, Hemisyntrachelus pisanus and Hemisyntrachelus cortesii. Our morphofunctional analysis supports a mainly piscivorous diet for O. citoniensis. In particular, the degree of apical tooth wear observed on the holotype is consistent with that shown by the extant generalist type of Atlantic killer whales while clearly differing from members of the cetacean-eating specialized types. The prominence of fish in the diet of O. citoniensis is further supported by the fine and shallow microwear features on the dentine exposed at the apical portion of the tooth crown. The emergence of Orcinus as one of the highest trophic level predators of the global oceans, especially at mid and high latitudes, may have involved some process of exaptation, well into the Pleistocene, when large eurytrophic sharks that used to be common and widespread in Pliocene times either became extinct or underwent a severe reduction of their biogeographic ranges.
... A putative fossil relative, O. citoniensis (Capellini 1883), also from the Pliocene of Italy, is represented by partial cranial and postcranial material. Proportional estimates place O. citoniensis at about 4 m in length (Bianucci 1997, Pyenson, personal observation, 2005, a size range that falls below the maxima of living Orcinus but larger than most other delphinids-consistent with the evolutionary fishing-up hypothesis. The fossil record of Orcinus-like odontocetes requires much needed revision (Bianucci 2005), but more descriptions and discoveries may allow for rigorous testing of proposed delphinid evolutionary scenarios. ...
This volume presents a sweeping picture of what we know about the natural history, biology, and ecology of whales in the broad context of the dynamics of ocean ecosystems. The book encompasses multiple points of view to consider the total ecological impact of industrial whaling on the world's oceans. Combining empirical research, ecological theory and modelling, and historical data, the chapters present perspectives from ecology, population biology, physiology, genetics, evolutionary history, ocean biogeography, economics, culture, and law, among other disciplines. Throughout, chapoters investigate how whaling fundamentally disrupted ocean ecosystems, examine the various roles whales play in food webs, and discuss the continuing ecological chain reactions to the depletion of these large animals. In addition to reviewing what is known of the current and historic whale populations, this book considers how this knowledge will bear on scientific approaches to conservation and whaling in the future and provocatively asks whether it is possible to restore ocean ecosystems to their pre-whaling condition.
... Other large generalist predators from the delphinidan clade are known from the Serravallian and Pliocene (e.g. Macrokentriodon morani Dawson, 1996 [84], the delphinids Hemisyntrachelus cortesii (Fischer, 1829) [86] and Orcinus citoniensis Capellini, 1883 [84,[87][88][89]), further supporting the scenario of a replacement of platanistoids (including squalodelphinids) by delphinidans in various marine ecological niches during the Miocene [18]. Interestingly, an apparent Late Miocene gap in the record of large delphinidan generalist predators could have been partly filled by macroraptorial sperm whales (e.g. ...
The South Asian river dolphin (Platanista gangetica) is the only extant survivor of the large clade Platanistoidea, having a well-diversified fossil record from the Late Oligocene to the Middle Miocene. Based on a partial skeleton collected from the Chilcatay Formation (Chilcatay Fm; southern coast of Peru), we report here a new squalodelphinid genus and species, Macrosqualodelphis ukupachai. A volcanic ash layer, sampled near the fossil, yielded the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age of 18.78±0.08Ma (Burdigalian, EarlyMiocene). The phylogenetic analysis places Macrosqualodelphis as the earliest branching squalodelphinid. Combined with several cranial and dental features, the large body size (estimated body length of 3.5 m) of this odontocete suggests that it consumed larger prey than the other members of its family. Together with Huaridelphis raimondii and Notocetus vanbenedeni, both also found in the Chilcatay Fm, this new squalodelphinid further demonstrates the peculiar local diversity of the family along the southeastern Pacific coast, possibly related to their partition into different dietary niches. At a wider geographical scale, the morphological and ecological diversity of squalodelphinids confirms the major role played by platanistoids during the EarlyMiocene radiation of crown odontocetes.
... The first is a Protororqualus cuvieri whose body measured 7 m and was associated with a large number of shark teeth (Cortesi, 1819;Bisconti, 2007;Danise & Dominici, 2014;Freschi & Cau, 2015). The second is represented by a large rorqual-like whale about 8 m in length that was found near Salsomaggiore Terme (Parma province) (Bianucci, 1997b;Freschi & Raineri, 2014) bearing three white shark teeth. Although this qualitative observation is recurrent, it is difficult to define what relationship exists between the size of the carcasses and the traces of predation or scavenging. ...
Here is report the finding of a large "Carcharodon" tooth among the fossil remains of "Cetotherium capellinii" (MPP – 47), previously discovered in
the Castell’Arquato Plio-Pleistocene Basin (CAB; Northern Apennines, Italy). The taphonomy of this assemblage indicates that the cetacean has
probably been scavenged by "Carcharodon". This may indicate that, as in the present, white sharks actively preyed upon small prey and scavenged
the large whale carcasses.
... Within odontocetes, the most common Pliocene delphinid, Etruridelphis, was larger than the modern analogue Stenella (Bianucci et al., 2009b). The same is true for Hemisyntrachelus cortesii, larger than modern Tursiops (Bianucci, 1997a). On the other hand, the largest extant delphinid Orcinus orca, reaching 9 m, is about twice as long as Orcinus citonensis (Heyning and Dahlheim, 1988). ...
Tuscany has a rich Pliocene record of marine megafauna (MM), including mysticetes, odontocetes, sirenians and seals among the mammals, and six orders of sharks among the elasmobranchs. This is reviewed with respect to paleogeography and sequence-stratigraphy in six different basins. Conditions at the ancient seafloor are explored by means of sedimentary facies analysis, taphonomy and multivariate techniques applied to a large quantitative dataset of benthic molluscs. MM is rare or absent in most basins during the Zanclean, except in one basin, and most abundant in Piacenzian deposits in all six basins. MM occurs preferentially in fine-grained, shelfal high- stand-deposits of small-scale depositional sequences, or at condensed horizons of the maximum flooding interval. It is rare in shallow marine paleonvironments and nearly absent in bathyal paleosettings. Paleogeographic and paleoecological evidence and a comparison with modern patterns of marine upwelling suggest that a wedge of nutrient-rich waters sustained in the offshore during the Pliocene a high biomass of primary producers and a community of apex consumers and mesopredators, similarly to the modern northwestern Mediterranean Sea, with a species-richness higher than the modern and a more complex trophic structure. The highest MM diversity coincides with the mid-Piacenzian warm period, suggesting that facies control does not obscure a link between climate and diversity. We underline however that not all marine environments were suitable for marine mammal preservation. Buoyant carcasses were preferentially dismembered and destroyed in high-energy shallow waters, with the possible exception of delta front deposits, where sudden sediment input occasionally buried pristine carcasses. We hypothesise that carcasses sunken on the seafloor below the shelf break underwent destruction through the activity of a whale-fall biota of modern type, specialised in the consumption of decomposing tissues, both soft and mineralised. A taphonomic window was left between storm wave base and the shelf break. Here water pressure is high enough to prevent the formation of decomposing gases and the resurfacing of carcasses, while the lack of a specialised whale-fall biota slows down bone degradation with respect to deeper settings. Sedimentation rate was high enough to cover skeletal material before its complete destruction. An estimate of paleobathymetries based on multivariate techniques suggests that the preferential depth for the inclusion of MM in the fossil record was 30–300 m. The results are compared with major Mesozoic and Cenozoic MM records worldwide. Available evidence suggests that the late Neogene radiation of large whales, true ecosystem engineers, and their size increase, triggered the radiation of a bone-eating fauna that hampered, and hampers, MM preservation in the deep sea. Stratigraphic paleobiology and an ecosystem-level approach deliver useful insights into the nature of the fossil record.
... Johann F. von Brandt, Giovanni Capellini and Georges Cuvier. A systematic review of historical material and description of recent discoveries has been carried out in these last years (Bianucci, 1996(Bianucci, , 1997a(Bianucci, , 1997b(Bianucci, , 1997c(Bianucci, , 2005Bianucci et al., in press;Bisconti, 2000Bisconti, , 2002Bisconti, , 2003Bisconti, , 2007aBisconti, , 2007bBisconti, , 2008Sorbi, 2008). In some cases these studies were integrated with biostratigraphical analyses with the aim of improving the sparse knowledge on the stratigraphic distribution of these fossils (Bianucci et al., 1998(Bianucci et al., , 1999(Bianucci et al., , 2001(Bianucci et al., , 2002Sorbi and Vaiani, 2007). ...
Rostral fossils of large dolphins are identified as belonging to the genus of Hemisyntrachelus. They reconfirm and corroborate the presence of the genus in the Late Pliocene or Early Pleistocene of the North Sea. Comparison of one of the fossils with the holotypes of the two described taxa of the genus (H. cortesii and H. pisanus) indicate that the North Sea specimens might represent a different species. However the incompleteness of the key fossils urge the authors to classify these finds temporarily as Hemisyntrachelus sp. until more and more complete specimens are identified or discovered.
