Vigna Nuova : the first Middle Villafranchian mammal assemblage from the Valdichiana Basin, Perugia (Italy)

The region of Umbria (Central Italy) represents one of the most interesting areas for the study of Mediterranean Plio-Pleistocene mammal faunas due to the occurrence of numerous paleontological deposits. Most of the fossils have been discovered within the Tiberino Basin, which extends across the centre of the territory for ca. 1800 km2, and the small Tavernelle-Pietrafitta Basin, south of Lake Trasimeno. Herein, we provide an additional report on an assemblage within continental deposits from the locality of Vigna Nuova (Piegaro, Perugia) in the Valdichiana Basin, which are observed to crop out in only a few areas of western Umbria. Taphonomic and geological evidence, coupled with rare excavation notes, have allowed the sample to be divided into two assemblages. The younger was collected from the conglomerates (here called "upper layer") which are still visible on the outcrop and is composed only of remains of cf. Leptobos. The data obtained from this fragmentary sample together with some sedimentological-stratigraphic considerations suggest that it can be correlated with other well-known Valdichiana assemblages (e.g., Selvella, Farneta), dated at ca. 1.5 Ma. The older sub-sample comes from a putative paleosol (here called "lower layer") no longer visible in the field. It includes cf. Megantereon, Canis sp., Mustelidae indet., Proboscidea indet., Equus cf. senezensis, cf. Leptobos, Croizetoceros ramosus, Pseudodama sp., Cervidae indet. (large size), and Sus cf. strozzii. This assemblage can be referred to the Coste San Giacomo Faunal Unit (late Middle Villafranchian; ca. 2.2-2.1 Ma). It represents the first wellpreserved sample of this age in Umbria and one of the few recorded in Italy, opening new interesting research perspectives on the distribution of mammals within the Peninsula and also on the stratigraphy and evolution of the Valdichiana Basin. "Aggiungeva che per scavare le poche ossa che mi avrebbe subito inviate aveva dovuto faticare enormemente e lottare per due giorni contro ogni sorta di difficoltà. Ricevuto il graditissimo invio mi affrettai a consolidare e restaurare con ogni cura quelle primizie ed oggi sono lieto di poter annunziare, in così solenne adunanza, la interessante scoperta…" ("He added that in order to excavate the few bones that he would immediately send me he had had to work enormously and struggle for two days against all sorts of difficulties. Having received the very welcome shipment, I hastened to consolidate and restore those fruits of the soil with every care and today I am pleased to be able to announce, in such a solemn meeting, the interesting discovery…"). Giovanni Capellini, 1890