Parasorex depereti (Crochet, 1986) (Lipotyphla, Mammalia), from the Upper Messinian (MN13) fissure filling of Brisighella (Faenza, Northern Apennine, Italy)

A large-sized species of Parasorex is rather common in the MN13 mammal assemblages from the uppermost Messinian sandy - marly fissure fillings within the Gessoso Solfifera Formation at Brisighella (Northern Apennine). This erinaceid had been originally classified as Galerix sp. in the first papers on the Brisighella fauna. Later on, it was described in detail in an unpublished dissertation by Fanfani (1999) who referred it to Galerix depereti. Unfortunately, the study remained virtually unknown to the scientific community. Hoek Ostende (2001) included G. depereti in the genus Parasorex, while Ziegler (2005) accommodated it in Schizogalerix. Hoek Ostende’s (2001) opinion is followed here. Parasorex deperetihas been described by Crochet (1986) on rather scarce material from a few Early Pliocene (MN14-15) localities of southern France and Spain. Parasorex cf. depereti is represented in the Italian Messinian/Zanclean deposits of Borro Strolla, (Val d’Elsa Basin, Tuscany) by a single M3 (Abbazzi et al,, 2008). Several other remains from the Early Pliocene fauna of Capo_Mannu (Mandriola, Sardinia) have been referred to Parasorex depereti (Furio and Angelone, 2011). The species seems actually distribute in south-western Europe, where it represents the youngest occurrence of genus Parasorex. The very abundant sample of P. depereti from fissure filling BRS25 enables a more accurate and comprehensive biometrical description of the species. It also permits to inspect the mesial traits of the dentition which Crochet (1986) had failed to describe. The systematic position of the species can also be revisited and compared with those of other European Galericini taxa. Abbazzi, L., Benvenuti, M., Ceci, M. E., Esu, D., Faranda, C., Rook, L. & Tangocci, F., 2008. The end of the Lago-Mare time in the SE Valdelsa Basin (Central Italy): interference between local tectonism and regional sea-level rise. Geodiversitas, 30 (3) : 611-639. Crochet, P.Y.,1986. Insectivores Pliocènes du sud de la France (Languedoc-Roussillon) et du nord-est de l’Espagne. Palaeovertebrata, 16: 145-171. Fanfani F., 1999. Revisione degli Insettivori tardo neogenici e quaternari dell’Italia Peninsulare. PhD Dissertation in Paleontological Sciences, University of Modena, 282 pp. Furió M. & Angelone C.,2010. Insectivores from the Pliocene of Capo Mannu D1 Mandriola, central-western Sardinia, Italy). Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, 258: 229-242. Van den Hoek Ostende L.W., 2001. A revised generic classification of the Galericini (Insectivora, Mammalia) with some remarks on their palaeobiogeography and phylogeny. Geobios, 34 (6): 681 695. Ziegler R., 2005.Erinaceidae and Dimylidae (Lipotyphla) from the Upper Middle Miocene of South Germany. Senckenebergiana lethaea, 85: 131-152 KW: Parasorex, MN13, taxonomy, biometry Acknowledgments: This research was financially supported by PRIN (Research Projects of National Interest) 2009 MIUR (Ministry of Education, University and Research) grants.