Doctorate in Palaeontology
Administrative University: Modena and Reggio Emilia University - Italy
Linked University: Florence University - Italy
Tutor: Prof. Danilo Torre

The goal of the research has been the collection of all the available information concerning the past distribution of the amphibians and reptiles in Italy by the analysis of the published papers, the study of unpublished materials and the revision of remains of doubtful taxonomic allocation (or taxa poorly described).
The selected span of time, Neogene and Quaternary (the last 23 M.y. approx.) allowed to reach the "rooths" of the modern herpetofauna and appreciate the progressive disappearance of the thermophilous-subtropical taxa along with the appearance of the modern ones.

Latonia sp.

The fossil record of the Italian Neogene and Quaternary herpetofauna has been analysed in oder to: sum up the "state of the art" of the most recent palaeoherpetofaunas and better know the taxonomic landscape in different moments but also to evaluate it can: provide palaeoecological information partially contribute to the Neogene-Quaternary biochronology and collaborate to the palaeogeography reconstruction of islands

Localities More that 23.000 remains coming from 58 localities have been identified. Their geographic and chronological distribution is represented in the picture. Holocene is underrepresented since several sites indicated as Pleistocene localities yielded also more recent remains.

The taxa identified up to now are:

* = extinct taxon
^ = taxon that is no more present in Italy

Hyla gr. H. arborea

AMPHIBIA Urodela Salamandra salamandra Triturus sp. Speleomantes sp. 1 Speleomantes sp. 2 Caudata indet. Anura Discoglossus pictus Discoglossus sp. Latonia cf. L. gigantea * Latonia cf. L. ragei * cf. Latonia sp. * Pelodytes punctatus Bufo bufo Bufo viridis Hyla gr. H. arborea Rana gr. R. ridibunda Rana dalmatina Rana temporaria Rana sp. Anura indet.

REPTILIA Crocodylia Crocodylus sp. ^ Crocodylia indet. ^ Chelonii Trionyx cf. T. pliopedemontanus * Cheloniidae indet. Psephophorus polygonus * Emys orbicularis Mauremys sp. ^ Geoemydinei indet. ^ Testudo hermanni Testudo sp. Testudininei indet. Testudininei indet. (grande taglia) ^ Chelonii indet. Sauria Tarentola cf. T. mauritanica Gekkonidae indet. Anguis fragilis Pseudopus pannonicus * Pseudopus sp. ^ Lacerta gr. L. viridis Lacerta sp. Lacerta s.l. (grande taglia) Podarcis sp. Chalcides chalcides Chalcides ocellatus Agamas.l. ^ Varanus sp. ^ Sauria indet. Amphisbaenia Palaeoblanus sp. * Amphisbaenia indet. ^ Serpentes Eryx cf. E. jaculus ^ Coronella austriaca Coronellasp. Elaphe gr. E. longissima Elaphe quatuorlineata Elaphesp. Coluber planicarinatus Hierophis viridiflavus Telescopus sp. Colubrines indet. Natrix natrix Natrix sp. Vipera cf. V. ammodytes Vipera gr. V. aspis Vipera sp. gr. "Oriental vipers" ^ Serpentes indet.

Palaeoblanus sp.

The catalogue of the Neogene-Quaternary Italian amphibians and reptiles
The version of the Catalogue of the Italian amphibians and reptiles (Neogene and Quaternary only) published in the thesis consists in 805 data: it collects information coming from 378 papers published before October 2001. Nearly 1/4 of the data (185) are original while 76 data previously published have been revised or commented.

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