Publicação
An enduring palaeontological riddle
| Resumo: | Hippopotamus pentlandi, although lacking a comprehensive description, is regarded as one of the best known dwarfed hippopotamid species within the Mediterranean region. This study provides a detailed analysis of a hippopotamus mandible from Amoroso Cave (Palermo, Sicily). Morphological and morphometric comparisons with insular and continental species reveal a significant similarity between the Amoroso mandible and some specimens from San Ciro Cave (Palermo, Sicily), as well as with Hippopotamus amphibius. Conversely, material from Cannita Cave (Palermo, Sicily) attributed to H. pentlandi is less robust, more elongated and smaller. 3D geometric morphometric analysis performed on the symphyseal sagittal cross-section further support a closer morphological affinity of the Amoroso mandible to San Ciro Cave specimens and H. amphibius, suggesting an attribution to the latter. Our research reveals the presence of at least two different, potentially coeval, taxa in the Pleistocene of Sicily: the dwarfed Hippopotamus pentlandi primarily known from Cannita Cave, and H. amphibius. While Cannita Cave material has been thoroughly studied over the years, abundant remains from other localities, e.g. San Ciro Cave, require re-evaluation. A thorough analysis of Sicilian hippopotamids is crucial to improve our understanding of their systematics and to provide new insights into the palaeobiogeography, palaeobiology, and palaeoenvironment of Sicily during the Pleistocene. |
|---|---|
| Autores principais: | Martino, Roberta |
| Outros Autores: | Di Patti, Carolina; Ríos, María; Rook, Lorenzo; Di Febbraro, Mirko; Raia, Pasquale; Pandolfi, Luca |
| Assunto: | Hippopotamus Morphology Morphometry Paleobiogeography Pleistocene Sicily Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Animal Science and Zoology |
| Ano: | 2025 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | artigo |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade Nova de Lisboa |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Repositório Institucional da UNL |
| _version_ | 1868982711420452864 |
|---|---|
| author | Martino, Roberta |
| author2 | Di Patti, Carolina Ríos, María Rook, Lorenzo Di Febbraro, Mirko Raia, Pasquale Pandolfi, Luca |
| author2_role | author author author author author author |
| author_facet | Martino, Roberta Di Patti, Carolina Ríos, María Rook, Lorenzo Di Febbraro, Mirko Raia, Pasquale Pandolfi, Luca |
| author_role | author |
| contributor_name_str_mv | DCT - Departamento de Ciências da Terra GeoBioTec - Geobiociências, Geoengenharias e Geotecnologias Blackwell Publishing Ltd RUN |
| country_str | PT |
| creators_json_txt | [{\"Person.name\":\"Martino, Roberta\"},{\"Person.name\":\"Di Patti, Carolina\"},{\"Person.name\":\"Ríos, María\"},{\"Person.name\":\"Rook, Lorenzo\"},{\"Person.name\":\"Di Febbraro, Mirko\"},{\"Person.name\":\"Raia, Pasquale\"},{\"Person.name\":\"Pandolfi, Luca\"}] |
| datacite.contributors.contributor.contributorName.fl_str_mv | DCT - Departamento de Ciências da Terra GeoBioTec - Geobiociências, Geoengenharias e Geotecnologias Blackwell Publishing Ltd RUN |
| datacite.creators.creator.creatorName.fl_str_mv | Martino, Roberta Di Patti, Carolina Ríos, María Rook, Lorenzo Di Febbraro, Mirko Raia, Pasquale Pandolfi, Luca |
| datacite.date.Accepted.fl_str_mv | 2025-07-09T00:00:00Z |
| datacite.date.available.fl_str_mv | 2025-08-22T21:55:58Z |
| datacite.date.embargoed.fl_str_mv | 2025-08-22T21:55:58Z |
| datacite.rights.fl_str_mv | http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 |
| datacite.subjects.subject.fl_str_mv | Hippopotamus Morphology Morphometry Paleobiogeography Pleistocene Sicily Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Animal Science and Zoology |
| datacite.titles.title.fl_str_mv | An enduring palaeontological riddle how many hippopotamid species roamed Sicily? The case study of Amoroso Cave |
| dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv | DCT - Departamento de Ciências da Terra GeoBioTec - Geobiociências, Geoengenharias e Geotecnologias Blackwell Publishing Ltd RUN |
| dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv | Martino, Roberta Di Patti, Carolina Ríos, María Rook, Lorenzo Di Febbraro, Mirko Raia, Pasquale Pandolfi, Luca |
| dc.date.Accepted.fl_str_mv | 2025-07-09T00:00:00Z |
| dc.date.available.fl_str_mv | 2025-08-22T21:55:58Z |
| dc.date.embargoed.fl_str_mv | 2025-08-22T21:55:58Z |
| dc.format.none.fl_str_mv | application/pdf |
| dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv | http://hdl.handle.net/10362/186784 |
| dc.language.none.fl_str_mv | eng |
| dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv | http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2 |
| dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv | Hippopotamus Morphology Morphometry Paleobiogeography Pleistocene Sicily Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Animal Science and Zoology |
| dc.title.fl_str_mv | An enduring palaeontological riddle how many hippopotamid species roamed Sicily? The case study of Amoroso Cave |
| dc.type.none.fl_str_mv | http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501 |
| description | Hippopotamus pentlandi, although lacking a comprehensive description, is regarded as one of the best known dwarfed hippopotamid species within the Mediterranean region. This study provides a detailed analysis of a hippopotamus mandible from Amoroso Cave (Palermo, Sicily). Morphological and morphometric comparisons with insular and continental species reveal a significant similarity between the Amoroso mandible and some specimens from San Ciro Cave (Palermo, Sicily), as well as with Hippopotamus amphibius. Conversely, material from Cannita Cave (Palermo, Sicily) attributed to H. pentlandi is less robust, more elongated and smaller. 3D geometric morphometric analysis performed on the symphyseal sagittal cross-section further support a closer morphological affinity of the Amoroso mandible to San Ciro Cave specimens and H. amphibius, suggesting an attribution to the latter. Our research reveals the presence of at least two different, potentially coeval, taxa in the Pleistocene of Sicily: the dwarfed Hippopotamus pentlandi primarily known from Cannita Cave, and H. amphibius. While Cannita Cave material has been thoroughly studied over the years, abundant remains from other localities, e.g. San Ciro Cave, require re-evaluation. A thorough analysis of Sicilian hippopotamids is crucial to improve our understanding of their systematics and to provide new insights into the palaeobiogeography, palaeobiology, and palaeoenvironment of Sicily during the Pleistocene. |
| dirty | 0 |
| eu_rights_str_mv | openAccess |
| format | article |
| fulltext.url.fl_str_mv | https://run.unl.pt/bitstreams/4390a51d-a670-424b-af82-fa2c1e9e3f2f/download |
| funder_facet_str_mv | FCT{{{_:::_}}}Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia FCT{{{_:::_}}}Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia |
| funding.funder.alternateName_str_mv | FCT FCT |
| funding.funder.identifier_str_mv | http://doi.org/10.13039/501100001871 http://doi.org/10.13039/501100001871 |
| funding.funder.name_str_mv | Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia |
| funding.name_str_mv | 6817 - DCRRNI ID CEEC IND 2018 |
| id | run_3cc95236937b76cbd2bb36d12e2e1dd4 |
| identifier.url.fl_str_mv | http://hdl.handle.net/10362/186784 |
| inst_facet_str | urn:organizationAcronym:unl{{{_:::_}}}Universidade Nova de Lisboa |
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| institution | Universidade Nova de Lisboa |
| instname_str | Universidade Nova de Lisboa |
| language | eng |
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| network_name_str | Repositório Institucional da UNL |
| oai_identifier_str | oai:run.unl.pt:10362/186784 |
| organization_str_mv | urn:organizationAcronym:unl |
| person_str_mv | Martino, Roberta Di Patti, Carolina Ríos, María Rook, Lorenzo Di Febbraro, Mirko Raia, Pasquale Pandolfi, Luca |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| repo_facet_str | urn:repositoryAcronym:run{{{_:::_}}}Repositório Institucional da UNL |
| reponame_str | Repositório Institucional da UNL |
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| spelling | engenHippopotamus pentlandi, although lacking a comprehensive description, is regarded as one of the best known dwarfed hippopotamid species within the Mediterranean region. This study provides a detailed analysis of a hippopotamus mandible from Amoroso Cave (Palermo, Sicily). Morphological and morphometric comparisons with insular and continental species reveal a significant similarity between the Amoroso mandible and some specimens from San Ciro Cave (Palermo, Sicily), as well as with Hippopotamus amphibius. Conversely, material from Cannita Cave (Palermo, Sicily) attributed to H. pentlandi is less robust, more elongated and smaller. 3D geometric morphometric analysis performed on the symphyseal sagittal cross-section further support a closer morphological affinity of the Amoroso mandible to San Ciro Cave specimens and H. amphibius, suggesting an attribution to the latter. Our research reveals the presence of at least two different, potentially coeval, taxa in the Pleistocene of Sicily: the dwarfed Hippopotamus pentlandi primarily known from Cannita Cave, and H. amphibius. While Cannita Cave material has been thoroughly studied over the years, abundant remains from other localities, e.g. San Ciro Cave, require re-evaluation. A thorough analysis of Sicilian hippopotamids is crucial to improve our understanding of their systematics and to provide new insights into the palaeobiogeography, palaeobiology, and palaeoenvironment of Sicily during the Pleistocene.application/pdfenAn enduring palaeontological riddleSubtitleenhow many hippopotamid species roamed Sicily? The case study of Amoroso CaveMartino, RobertaDi Patti, CarolinaRíos, MaríaRook, LorenzoDi Febbraro, MirkoRaia, PasqualePandolfi, LucaDCT - Departamento de Ciências da TerraGeoBioTec - Geobiociências, Geoengenharias e GeotecnologiasBlackwell Publishing LtdHostingInstitutionOrganizationalRUNe-mailmailto:run@unl.ptrun@unl.ptISSNIsPartOf0024-4082URNIsPartOfPURE: 127301857URNIsPartOfPURE UUID: b05d7256-b346-474d-b36a-62e48e7cb316URNIsPartOfScopus: 105010248213URNIsPartOfWOS: 001524320900001DOIIsPartOf10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf0632025-08-22T21:55:58Z2025-07-092025-07-09T00:00:00ZHandlehttp://hdl.handle.net/10362/186784http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2open accessHippopotamusMorphologyMorphometryPaleobiogeographyPleistoceneSicilyEcology, Evolution, Behavior and SystematicsAnimal Science and Zoology18414171 bytesFundação para a Ciência e a TecnologiaGeoBioSciences GeoTechnologies and GeoEngineering6817 - DCRRNI IDCrossref Funder IDhttp://doi.org/10.13039/501100001871Fundação para a Ciência e a TecnologiaNot AvailableCEEC IND 2018Crossref Funder IDhttp://doi.org/10.13039/501100001871literaturehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2application/pdffulltexthttps://run.unl.pt/bitstreams/4390a51d-a670-424b-af82-fa2c1e9e3f2f/download |
| spellingShingle | An enduring palaeontological riddle Martino, Roberta Hippopotamus Morphology Morphometry Paleobiogeography Pleistocene Sicily Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Animal Science and Zoology |
| status | SINGLETON |
| subject.fl_str_mv | Hippopotamus Morphology Morphometry Paleobiogeography Pleistocene Sicily Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Animal Science and Zoology |
| title | An enduring palaeontological riddle |
| title_full | An enduring palaeontological riddle |
| title_fullStr | An enduring palaeontological riddle |
| title_full_unstemmed | An enduring palaeontological riddle |
| title_short | An enduring palaeontological riddle |
| title_sort | An enduring palaeontological riddle |
| topic | Hippopotamus Morphology Morphometry Paleobiogeography Pleistocene Sicily Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Animal Science and Zoology |
| topic_facet | Hippopotamus Morphology Morphometry Paleobiogeography Pleistocene Sicily Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Animal Science and Zoology |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10362/186784 |
| visible | 1 |