INTRODUCTION
Ancient fluvial deposits forming aggradational river terraces can be used as markers of uplift (Maddy, 1997;
Van den Berg & Van Hoof, 2001; Westaway, 2001), in particular if sedimentation took place close to palaeo- coasts (Burbank & Anderson, 2001). In many cases these deposits are interbedded with shallow marine and transitional sediments or with volcanites, in general chronologically well constrained by biostratigraphy or radiometric age data. Moreover, fluvial deposits com- monly bear vertebrate fossil remains (Bridge, 2003), which may constitute local assemblages of biochrono- logic relevance and may be used as correlation tool with marine isotope stages (Bridgland & Schreve, 2001).
These three conditions, presence of river terraces, interlayering of fluvial deposits with marine ones and volcanites, and occurrence of faunal assemblages in river sediments are present in many Italian Neogene- Quaternary sedimentary basins and in particular in the Roman Basin, along the eastern Tyrrhenian Sea coast (Latium Region) (Fig. 1). Here, in fact, the basin fill is partly composed of terraced fluvial deposits interbedded with coastal marine, volcanic and volcano-sedimentary successions (Conato et al., 1980; Milli, 1997; Karner &
Marra, 1998). Moreover, elevation data from top sur-
faces of the terraces are widely used to estimate the rate of uplift along the Latium coast (Karner et al., 2001a;
Giordano et al., 2003; De Rita et al., 2002). Finally, sev- eral vertebrate-bearing fossiliferous sites have been dis- covered within the fluvial-deltaic and coastal sediments of the Roman Basin (Milli et al., 2004; Milli & Palombo, 2005).
It is here presented a new site of palaeontologic and biochronologic interest, the Cerveteri-Monte Li Pozzi site (CMLP site hereafter), where terraced fluvial deposits crop out, more than 3 km inland from the pres- ent-day coastline and some 5 km NW from Cerveteri (Fig. 1). Paleontologic, sedimentologic and elevation data of fluvial sediments are used to provide information on chronostratigraphy and paleoenvironmental aspects of the site and on local uplift.
METHODS
The CMPL palaeontologic site corresponds to an exca- vation conducted by the “Soprintendenza Archeologica per l’Etruria meridionale” in collaboration with the Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza” and CNR- Istituto di Geologia Ambientale e Geoingegneria. The
MIDDLE PLEISTOCENE VERTEBRATE-BEARING FLUVIAL DEPOSITS OF THE CERITI MTS AREA, LATIUM COAST (CENTRAL ITALY)
Marco Mancini
1, Maria Rita Palombo
2,1, Carmelo Petronio
2,1, Raffaele Sardella
2,1, Claudia Bedetti
3, Luca Bellucci
4, Emanuele Di Canzio
3, Caterina Giovinazzo
5,
Mauro Petrucci
6and Flavia Trucco
71CNR Istituto di Geologia Ambientale e Geoingegneria, Via Bolognola 7, 00138 Rome, Italy e-mail: marco.mancini@igag.cnr.it
2Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza”, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome
3Collaboratore scientifico esterno c/o Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Roma “La Sapienza”
4Dottorato di Ricerca in Paleontologia, consorzio tra Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, di Bologna e di Roma “La Sapienza”
5Dottorato di Ricerca in Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza”
6Dottorato di Ricerca in Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Torino
7Soprintendenza Archeologica per l’Etruria meridionale
ABSTRACT - It is here presented a Middle Pleistocene fossiliferous site, the Cerveteri Monte Li Pozzi (CMLP) site, located in the Ceriti Mts area, within the wider Roman Basin (Latium coast, central Italy). The outcropping succession is, from base to top, composed of terrigenous and carbonate fluvial deposits, travertines and ~ 410 ka old pyroclastites. The fluvial deposits form an aggradational river terrace, belong to an ancient risen alluvial-coastal plain and sedimented close to the palaeocoast. Two fossiliferous levels have been discov- ered inside: the lower level, where Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) antiquus and Axis sp. ? A. eurygonos were found;
the upper level with E. antiquus, Stephanorhinus cf. S. hundsheimensis, Dama cf. D. clactoniana, Arvicola mos- bachensis, Testudo sp.. The faunal assemblage as a whole indicates the middle-late Galerian Mammal Age, approximately 600-500 ka, and may be correlated with the MIS 15 or MIS 13. This fossil assemblage is the first discovery of Galerian fauna in the Ceriti Mts area and thus represents a new Local Fauna.
On the basis of lithostratigraphic, biochronologic and elevation data, it is possible to estimate an approximate- ly 0.26 mm/a uplift rate in the Ceriti Mts basin.
KEY WORDS: Middle Pleistocene, Italy, fluvial deposits, mammal fossil assemblage, uplift.
excavation is located on the eastern flank of Monte Li Pozzi, a N-S oriented hill with planar top surface at 136 m a.s.l., at the interfluve between Fosso Sassetara to the east and Fosso Perazzetta to the west. The excavation is rectangular in plan view and presents two floors, at 118 and 121 m, separated by a major step. Each floor corre- sponds to a fossiliferous level. The main front of the exca- vation is 7 m in length and is oriented N20°E, with minor
fronts perpendicular to it. This good exposure enables physical stratigraphic analysis and 3D facies reconstruc- tion to be made (Fig. 2), as well as collection of fossil remains and preliminary taphonomic observations.
Facies analysis has been conducted following the stan- dard methods of field geology (Miall, 1996; 2000). In particular for terrigenous fluvial deposits it has been fol- lowed in part the Architectural Element Analysis of Miall (1996), while environmental models of calcareous tufa from Pedley (1990) have been considered for facies analysis on travertines.
GEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK
The Roman Basin and the northern-central Latium coastal belt
The Roman Basin widens for more than 70 km in the NW-SE direction along the coastal region of Latium and is of tectono-sedimentary origin. It was formed after the SW-NE directed extension that affected the western mar- gin of the northern-central Apennines since Late Miocene, in concomitance with the opening of the backarc Thyrrenian Sea Basin (Funiciello & Parotto, 1978; Malinverno & Ryan, 1986; Patacca et al., 1990;
Cavinato & De Celles, 1999). The Roman Basin is sub- divided into horsts and minor grabens or half-grabens,
Fig. 2 - Cerveteri Monte Li Pozzi site: view of the excavation. A-E are the facies described in the text and featured in fig.4. Bar scale is 2 m in height.
Fig. 1 - Simplified geological map of the Roman Basin, with location of selected fossiliferous sites. Legend: 1) subaeral volcanic and volcano-sed- imentary successions (Late Pliocene-Late Pleistocene); 2) marine and non-marine sedimentary successions (Late Miocene-Holocene); 3) marine, car- bonate and siliciclastic successions (Trias-Middle Miocene); 4) normal fault; 5) buried normal fault.
12¡ 16¡
Tolfa Mts
Ceriti Mts
Rome
Italy
15 16
17
38¡
42¡
Rome APEN
NINES
Alban Hills Tiber River
ROMAN BASIN
Tyr rhe nia n S
ea
Ceriti Mts
LATIUM
BraccianoLake
1
Fig. 3a 2
3 4
5
6 7
8
9 10 11 12 13
14
1) Cerveteri-Monte Li Pozzi
9 ) Monte Mario
8) Vitinia 7) San Cosimato 6) Ponte Galeria 5) Malagrotta 4) Polledrara 3) Castel di Guido 2) Torre in Pietra
14) Capena 13) Redicicoli 12) Cava Nera Molinario 11) Saccopastore 10) Sedia del Diavolo Cerveteri
15) Fontana Ranuccio 16) Isernia-La Pineta 17) Notarchirico Sabatini
N Mts
10 km
1 2 3 4 5
Selected fossiliferous sites:
Tolfa Mts
mainly bounded by NNW-SSE and NE-SW trending normal faults.
The fill of the Roman Basin (Funiciello & Parotto, 1978; Barberi et al., 1994; Funiciello, 1995; Marra et al., 1995), only considering sedimentary successions, is composed of: 1) at the base, Lower Pliocene to Lower Pleistocene sequences, of shelf marine and coastal envi- ronments and up to 1 km in thickness. They cover with angular unconformity syn-orogenic, Meso-Cenozoic successions and recorded phases of tectonic subsidence, interrupted by short-term phases of localised uplift. 2) Middle Pleistocene to Holocene fluvial, coastal and shal- low marine sediments, which were deposited under a tectonic regime of regional uplift.
Furthermore, in northern and central Latium a wide- spread, subaeral volcanism developed at different time intervals: Late Pliocene, late Early Pleistocene and Middle-Late Pleistocene (Locardi et al., 1977; Barberi et al., 1994; Cavinato et al., 1994; Funiciello, 1995; Marra et al., 1998; Karner et al., 2001b). This volcanism is mainly represented by pyroclastic products, interbedded with the sedimentary sequences. Related magmatism, as a whole, locally enhanced the regional trend of uplift.
The regional uplift acted as long term control (> 1 Ma) on sedimentation, volcanism and landscape evolu- tion in Latium since the late Early Pleistocene (see also Mancini & Cavinato, 2005). Uplift rates decrease along the NE-SW direction, from the axis of the Apennines to the coastal belt, i.e. from values in the range of 0.30- 0.50 mm/y to 0.10-0.25 mm/y (D’Agostino et al., 2001, with references). This uplift was probably due to isosta- tic rebound after the ENE directed compression of the Apenninic Chain or to mantle upwelling (Barberi et al., 1994; Cavinato & De Celles, 1999; D’Agostino et al., 2001).
Sedimentation and morphological evolution of the northern-central coastal belt of Latium also results from the concomitance of glacio-eustatic and climatic con- trols with regional uplift, during the Middle Pleistocene- Holocene (Dai Prà, 1978; Conato et al., 1980; Milli, 1997; Karner & Marra, 1998; Marra et al., 1998; Karner at al., 2001a; De Rita et al., 2002; Giordano et al., 2003;
Carobene, 2004). These shorter term controls, 100 ka spaced, led to the deposition of several, IV order, raised depositional sequences, each bounded by a main uncon- formity. Each sequence, or in some cases several verti- cally stacked sequences, correspond to a single aggrada- tional, fluvial-coastal terrace, which record one or more phases of relative sea-level rise. Depositional top sur- faces of these aggradational terraces commonly corre- spond to terraced surfaces, mark sea level highstands and are locally used for estimation of uplift rates (Bordoni & Valensise, 1998; Karner et al., 2001a;
Giordano et al., 2003).
The Ceriti Mts basin stratigraphy
Among the minor grabens and half-grabens of the Roman Basin, the Ceriti Mts basin (De Rita et al.,
1994a,b) is of great interest for reconstructing the Pliocene and Pleistocene sedimentologic, volcanic and tectonic evolution of northern Latium. This basin is located in the north-westernmost margin of the Roman Basin and comprises the CMLP fossiliferous site (Figs.
1 and 3a).
Morphologically, the Ceriti Mts area is a hilly region with maximum elevation of 430 m a.s.l. and is elongat- ed in the NNW-SSE direction. This area is bounded to the west by a narrow coastal plain, no more than 2 km wide and with inner margin at about 15 m a.s.l. The plain is laterally contiguous to the Tiber River delta plain to the SSE. The present-day river drainage in the Ceriti Mts area is represented by short streams roughly flowing in the NNE-SSW direction.
In the hilly area two main belts are recognised: 1) an eastern belt, which is characterised by an almost N-S directed alignement of acid lava domes, Late Pliocene in age (De Rita et al., 1994a); 2) a western belt, where three main morphological terraces are recognised and which border the coastal plain. These terraces correspond to depositional surfaces, gently dip seaward and are sepa- rated by steep erosional scarps. The first, upper terrace dips from 150 to 130 m a.s.l., from the inner margin to the outer edge. The second terrace dips from 80 to 50 m a.s.l. The third, lower terrace is a subplanar surface with inner margin at about 40 m a.s.l.
Structurally, the Ceriti Mts basin is interpreted as a NE-SW trending half-graben (De Rita et al., 1994a,b), which is bounded to NW by a system of SW-NE and SSW-NNE directed and SE dipping normal faults (Fig.
3a). The footwall block corresponds to the Monti della Tolfa ridge, where Mesozoic to Paleogene marine silici- clastic and carbonate successions crop out (Accordi and Carbone, 1988; Civitelli and Corda, 1988, with refer- ences). The hanging-wall block comprises both the Mesozoic and Paleogene successions and overlaying Neogene and Quaternary sedimentary sequences and volcanic deposits (Fig. 3b).
The oldest Neogene sediments are transgressive Messinian conglomerates, covered by Lower-Middle Pliocene pelites, sands and regressive conglomerates. It follows the Upper Pliocene lava of the Ceriti Mts Volcanic Complex, and a series of four Quaternary depo- sitional sequences and Middle Pleistocene volcanites.
Each depositional sequence is bounded at the base by a major erosional unconformity and at the top by a depo- sitional surface. The latter corresponds to one of the above mentioned morphological terrace or to the present day coastal plain, in the case of the last sequence.
The first sequence is composed, in the lower part, of fluvial sands and gravels, the “Puntoni fluvial deposits”
sensu De Rita et al. (1994a) (Fig. 3 a-b). These fluvial sediments are only referred to the Early Pleistocene because of the presence of reworked Upper Pliocene vol- canites and the absence of any resedimented Middle Pleistocene volcanites. However, the new paleontologic findings within these sediments at the CMLP site allow a partial attribution to Middle Pleistocene to be proposed
(see below).
The upper part of the first sequence is composed of travertines, or cool freshwater tufa sensu Pedley (1990), which form a 5 km2wide and SW dipping wedge. They are related to perched hydrothermal springs, aligned along the NE-SW directed faults (Fig. 3a). The top sur- face of travertines gently slopes from 250 to 150 m a.s.l.
in the eastern part of the outcrop, while it is in the range of 150-130 m in the coastal belt where it corresponds to the first morphological terraced surface. The travertines are overlain by a few metres-thick pyroclastic cover,
which is related to the acme of the volcanic activity of the Sabatini Mts District, occurred between 400 and 300 ka (Barberi et al., 1994).
The second sequence is composed of Middle Pleisto- cene fluvial sediments, sands and gravels of the “Fosso Zambra fluvial deposits” sensu De Rita et al. (1994a), with top depositional surface corresponding to the second morphological terrace.
The third sequence comprises alluvial sands and grav- els, interfingered with coastal and shallow marine sands and calcarenites. The coastal marine deposits are rich in
0 ma.s.l.
100 200 300 400
A B
N
B
A
La Tolfa Mts
Coastal plain Santa Severa
Sasso
137 m
487 m 495 m
Tyrrhenian Sea
Alluvial and coastal deposits
(Holocene)
terraced fluvial and coastal deposits
(Late Pleistocene)
terraced fluvial deposits (late Middle Pleistocene)
Puntoni Unit fluvial deposits (Early-Middle Pleistocene)
WSW ENE S Travertines N
(Middle Pleistocene)
sectionCMLP (Fig. 4) Volcanic deposits (Middle Pleistocene)
1 km
Ceriti Mts
430 m
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Limestone and sandstone (Mesozoic-Paleogene)
10 11 12
b a
13
Fig. 3a - Geological map of the Ceriti Mts basin (partly modified after De Rita et al., 1994a). Legend: 1) alluvial and coastal sediments (Holocene);
2) Upper Pleistocene fluvial and coastal sediments: gravels and cemented sands (panchina); 3) Fosso Zambra Unit: fluvial gravels and sands (Middle Pleistocene); 4) volcanic and volcano-sedimentary deposits of the Sabatini Volcanic Complex (Middle Pleistocene); 5) Travertines (Middle Pleistocene); 6) Puntoni Unit: fluvial sands and gravels (Early-Middle Pleistocene); 7) volcanites of the Ceriti Volcanic Complex (Late Pliocene);
8) marine gravels, sands and pelites (Late Miocene-Middle Pliocene); 9) marine sandstone and limestone (Mesozoic-Paleogene); 10) normal fault;
11) CMLP fossiliferous site; 12) geological cross section; 13) hydrothermal spring.
Fig. 3b - Geological cross section of the Ceriti Mts basin.
a subtropical and warm seawater mollusc assemblage with Stombus bubonius Lmk (Dai Prà, 1978; Bordoni &
Valensise, 1998), indicative of the MIS 5.5 (the Thyrrenian substage). The last sequence corresponds to the Upper Pleistocene-Holocene coastal plain deposits.
BIOCHRONOLOGICAL REMARKS
Reconstructing the Neogene-Quaternary biostratigra- phy in non-marine environments and recognizing
“boundaries” between successive faunal complexes is a problematic task. The discontinuity in the continental sedimentary record, environmental conditions, tapho- nomic and sampling biases are responsible for the fact that the stratigraphic order of the highest and lowest occurrences, the stratigraphic data, of remains within a given geographic area does not necessarily reflect the temporal order of their actual first/last appearances, the palaeobiological events, in the time. Actually, relative or absolute deposition dates for sediment in which the low- est and highest occurrences of fossil remains are docu- mented, respectively correspond only to the ante quem or post quem time of the actual origination and extinc- tion bioevents in a given geographic area (Palombo, 2004, with references therein).
Nonetheless, the classic criteria on which biochron are based, such as absence/presence of particular taxa, fau- nal turnovers, the evolutionary stage of taxa belonging to a well-defined phyletic lineage or typical taxa associa- tions, are the only available tools that enable us to build a chronological scheme. In some cases, the occurrences of particularly long stratigraphic sequence permits to better constrain the temporal range of such biochrons.
In this regard, the detailed facies and sequence strati- graphic analyses, carried out in the last years on deposits holding Pleistocene vertebrate fossil remains of the Roman Basin, have allowed the establishment of a regional and local chronostratigraphic framework which sets some physical and temporal limits to the occurrence of faunal complexes, in agreement with the biochrono- logic setting proposed for the mammal faunas in the Italian peninsula (Milli & Palombo 2005, and references therein). Accordingly, in the Roman Basin two major faunal complexes have been recognised: the ‘‘Galerian’’
and the ‘‘Aurelian’’ complexes (Milli & Palombo, 2005).
The Galerian complex mainly includes faunal assem- blages essentially found in barrier island-lagoon deposits and subordinately in fluvio-lacustrine and palustrine deposits that can be ascribed to the Italian Slivia and Isernia Faunal Units (FUs hereafter) (middle Galerian Mammal Age, Gliozzi et al, 1997; Palombo, 2004) as testified by stratigraphic and palaeontological data (Milli
& Palombo, 2005). In the older local faunas (Slivia FU) inter alios Crocuta crocuta, Mammuthus trogontherii, Equus altidens, Stephanorhinus hundsheimensis,
‘‘Praemegaceros’’ verticornis, Megaloceros savini, Axys eurygonos, Cervus elaphus acoronatus, Hemibos galeri- anus and Bison schoetensacki occur. From the younger
ones (Isernia FU) birds, amphibians and reptiles, Arvicola mosbachensis, Allocricetus bursae, ‘‘Hyaena prisca’’, Hippopotamus ex gr. H. antiquus and Ovis ammon antiqua have been reported, together with ele- phants, equids, rhinoceroses, cervids and bovids (Palombo, 2004). Younger late Galerian faunal assem- blages (Fontana Ranuccio FU, roughly correlated to 13- 11 MIS) are less numerous: scanty fossil remains of Stephanorhinus sp. and Bos primigenius have been found in the Ponte Galeria area (Fig. 1), whereas typical taxa of the Fontana Ranuccio FU, such as Cervus ela- phus eostephanoceros, have been uncovered in the vol- caniclastic sediments cropping out at Cava Nera Molinario, within the urban area of Rome (Fig. 1) (Di Stefano & Petronio, 1993).
The Aurelian complex includes several faunal assem- blages found in fluvial and fluvio-palustrine deposits ascribed to the Torre in Pietra FU (sensu Palombo et al., 2004). This complex is characterized, among the others, by the occurrence of Ursus spelaeus, Canis lupus, Megaloceros giganteus, Cervus elaphus (advanced form) and Dama dama.
The presence at Monte Li Pozzi of two fossiliferous levels older than 400 ka (see in the following) is of par- ticular interest since it may improve our knowledge about the middle-late Galerian mammalian faunas from the Roman Basin.
DATA FROM THE FOSSILIFEROUS SITE Facies analysis
Seven informal sedimentary and volcanic units are distinguished, from unit A to G (Fig. 4), each correspon- ding to a single lithofacies or to a facies assemblage.
Unit A - It comprises the lower fossiliferous level. It is up to 2.5 m thick and is composed of light brown, mas- sive sandy silts, interfingered with fine to coarse sands and gravels. The silt contains scattered bones of mam- mals, small rizholithes and subrounded calcareous nod- ules, up to 5 cm long. It is interlayered with planar hori- zons of reddish or green clay, 10 cm in thickness and bearing bones. These horizons are interpreted as weakly developed paleosols.
The sands are poorly sorted and rich in silty and clayey matrix. They are mostly composed of quartz, muscovite and sanidine, and less frequently of biotite, magnetite and pyroxene. Poorly preserved sets of through cross-bedded laminae have been observed, which indicate paleocurrent directions from NNW to SSE. The sands contain a tusk of Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) antiquus Falconer & Cautley, which is oriented in a transverse direction to the paleocur- rents. This suggests partial mobilization of the fossil remain by currents.
The gravels crop out in the southernmost sector, are clast-supported, are rich in coarse sandy matrix and form a massive lenticular bed, interpreted as a small channel- fill deposit, 1 m in lenght and 30 cm in thickness.
Pebbles and cobbles, with diameters up to 7 cm, are well
rounded and composed of limestone, chert and sand- stone, which belong to the mesozoic-cenozoic forma- tions outcropping in the Monti della Tolfa ridge. An iso- lated, rhyolite boulder, subspheric in shape and 30 cm in diameter, was found near the tusk; it should belong to the nearest Mt Ceriti lava domes, no more than 1 km far from the site to NNE.
Unit A is a fluvial facies assemblage: silts and fine sands are interpreted as floodplain or leeve deposits, respective- ly FF and LV elements, in the classification of Miall (1996). They are in part pedogenically modified, as it is indicated by root traces, concretions and paleosols.
Coarser sediments are considered as channel-related facies (CH element). Paleocurrent data, measured from clast imbrications, indicate flow direction from NNW, from the Tolfa Mts ridge, in accordance with the litholog- ic provenance of clasts. The bones recovered in this unit were probably in part transported or mobilized by flows above the overbank area.
Unit B - It is up to 2 m thick and lays over the unit A, from which is separated through a deeply incised ero- sional surface. Above the surface it crops out a basal lag, 50 cm in thickness and composed of massive gravel and phytoclast tufa (Pedley, 1990). The gravel fills NW-SE directed paleochannels, 2 m wide and 50 cm deep. Clasts are calcareous and arenitic and are up to 10 cm in diam- eter; their main axes are mostly isooriented along the preferential W-E direction. The freshwater tufa forms a 50 cm thick, tabular bed and consists of variously orient-
ed boulders, essentially composed of: encrusted trunks, up to 60 cm in lenght, branches and leaves. Frequent car- bonate oncoids are also found. These basal deposits are overlain by lenses of calcareous grey sand, with root traces and peat fragments, and by a 50 cm thick tabular bed of intraclast tufa (Pedley, 1990). This tufa is well cemented and is partly intercalated with phytoherm boundstones, cylindrical in shape, 30 cm high and form- ing a large carbonate barrage.
The basal deposits are interpreted as channel-fill facies. Gravels, with plant fragments, correspond to the Gp lithofacies sensu Miall (1996) and was presumably deposited on a lateral accreted bar in a fairly high flow condition. Subsequent encrustation of reworked plants occurred under a weaker water flow regime. The over- laying calcareous sands are interpreted as pedogenised floodplain deposits, covered by the barrage; this was formed under weak, WNW-ESE directed flows, in shal- low-water channels.
Unit C - It corresponds to the second fossiliferous level, where a skeleton of Elephas antiquus is found (Fig. 5). This directly lays over the carbonate barrage.
The separating surface between unit B and C is erosion- al, is carved into the tufa and sands and represents the base of ribbon-like structures. These channels are 1.5 m wide, 50 cm deep and N45°W oriented, and are filled with massive, dark grey sandy silts, rich in ferromagne- sian minerals and with scattered travertine boulders, 20 cm long. The silts are laterally continuous with a thin veneer, 2 cm thick, of cross-laminated coarse sands, which incompletely covers the fossil remains.
This unit is interpreted as a single mud flow deposit that filled small intrabarrage channels and mobilized in part the fossil bones.
Unit D - It is composed of massive, coarse carbonate sands, 1 m thick, composed of detrital fragments of travertine and quartz. It contains root traces and frag- mentary rests of small terrestrial gasteropods. This unit is interpreted as a pedogenised floodplain deposit.
Unit E - It is composed of an aggradational to progra- dational travertine facies assemblage, totally 8 m in thick- ness. The basal surface is planar-horizontal and deposi- tional, in the north-eastern part of the excavation, where travertines cover in aggradation the unit D; it becomes subvertical and partly erosional to the South. Clastic tufa deposits, as well as phytoherm boundstones and frame- stones (Pedley, 1990), are recognised. In particular recumbent macrophytes indicate general southward directed flows, coming from the hydrothermal springs sited at 1 km from the CMPL site, to the North (Fig. 3a).
Travertines of the unit E form small morphological terraces, separated by 1-3 m high scarps, and are attrib- uted to the barrage or the distal perched springline facies models sensu Pedley (1990) and Pedley et al. (2003), prograding on alluvial plain deposits.
Unit F - It is a 2.5 m thick, massive volcaniclastic deposit, composed of dark brown scoriaceous ashes, with white and grey pumice. It also contains thin hori- zons of leucite crystals altered in yellow-whitish anal-
Floodplain and fluvial channel
deposits
A B C D
E
Matrix supported, massive
gravels Brown tuff with pumice (Tufi stratificati
varicolori di La Storta Fm)
Middle Pleistocene
travertines
Floodplain and fluvial channel
deposits fossiliferous1st
level fossiliferous2nd
level 136 m
a.s.l.
123 m
118 m 131 m
Puntoni Fluvial Deposits (Early-Middle
Pleistocene) Middle Pleistocene
volcanic volcano-and sedimentary
deposits
F G
Main unconformity Buried terraced surface
Fig. 4 - Stratigraphic-sedimentologic log of the CMPL site. A-G are the units, lithofacies and lithofacies assemblages, described in the text.
cime. Close to the top, root traces and terrestrial gas- teropods, such as Helix pomatia L. and other helicidae, are present. This unit may be interpreted as a pyroclastic flow deposit in part pedogenically modified at the top.
The abundant presence of leucite and pumices is typical, in the Ceriti Mts area, of the Tufi stratificati varicolori di La Storta formation (Bonadonna & Bigazzi, 1970;
Bigazzi et al. 1973; De Rita et al., 1993). Recently this unit has been dated 410 ± 1 ka (Karner et al., 2001b).
Unit G - It is composed of 1.5 m of matrix-supported, massive gravels. Clasts are up to 10 cm in diameter, in
general poorly rounded, and are composed of limestone, sandstone, chert, and of dark grey or red volcanic scoriae.
The main axes of clasts are in general oriented along the N-S direction. The sandy matrix is rich in ferromagnesian minerals. This deposit is interpreted as an ancient talus.
Palaeontologic data
The fossil vertebrate remains recovered from the two fossiliferous levels in the Monte Li Pozzi stratigraphic succession (Fig. 4) can be regarded as the first Galerian local faunal assemblage discovered in the Ceriti Mts basin and can contribute to better determine the chronos- tratigraphic attribution of the sequence.
In the lower level (unit A), Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) antiquus and Axis sp.? A. eurygonos (Azzaroli) were found; in the upper level (unit C) Testudo sp., Arvicola mosbachensis (Schmidtgen), E. antiquus, Stephano- rhinus cf. S. hundsheimensis (Toula), and Dama cf. D.
clactoniana (Falconer) are present.
Elephas antiquus from unit A is represented by a well preserved, slightly compressed and rather complete tusk (maximal length about 3200 mm).
Axis remains correspond to a fragmentary antler and a metatarsal bone lacking the proximal epiphysis (Fig. 6 c- d). The morphology of the antler, slightly curved and with no deep grooves, and the morphological features and dimension of the metatarsal (Transversal Distal Diameter (TDD) = 37 mm; Medial Transversal Diameter
Fig. 5 - Almost complete skeleton of Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) antiqu- us (Falconer & Cautley) from the second fossiliferous level. Bar is 120 cm long.
Fig. 6 - Selected material of the faunal assemblage: a) antler fragment of Dama cf. D. clactoniana (Falconer); b) distal part of left humerus of Stephanorhinus cf. S. hundsheimensis (Toula), on the left posterior view, on the right anterior view; c) antler fragment of Axis sp. ? A. eurygonos (Azzaroli); d) metatarsus of Axis sp. ? A. eurygonos. Bar scale is 50 mm long.
(MTD) = 32 mm) suggest to refer these specimens to Middle Pleistocene advanced representatives of Axis eurygonos (Di Stefano and Petronio, 2003).
In the unit C, Elephas antiquus is present with a quite complete, slightly unarticulated skeleton (Fig 5). A par- tial anatomical connection of the vertebrae and the zeu- gopodial elements can be recognised. Although only pre- liminary observations have been carried on, such tapho- nomical setting suggests that the elephant carcass could be buried in sediment under low energy depositional conditions or submitted to mud flow. The skull, large sized, shows a typical wide and triangular fan; esoccipi- tal bones are protruding. The skull apex and the brain- case are not preserved. Two upper and two lower molar teeth (M3?) are present and in part are still hidden in the sediment. Approximate in situ measurements, such as average enamel thickness from the lingual side of five laminae and lingual laminar frequency, have been car- ried out on a left lower molar. These measurements fit with the variability field of the Italian Middle Pleisto- cene Elephas antiquus specimens (Palombo, 1986;
Palombo & Ferretti, 2005).
A fragmentary antler, with a flattened part, of a fallow deer is referred to Dama cf. D. clactoniana since its mor- phology, size and stoutness (Fig. 6a).
The occurrence of a rhinoceros is testified by a distal part of a large left humerus (TDD = 143 mm) (Fig. 6b).
An attribution to Stephanorhinus cf. S. hundsheimensis is suggested by the relative development of the trochlea and condyli, the morphology of the distal medial side of diaphysis plus epiphysis and of the coronoid fossa groove, and by the dimension and proportions of the bone (Fortelius et al., 1993).
Arvicola mosbachensis from unit C is represented by a 3.5 mm long, left M1 (lower first molar) (Fig. 7). The SDQ value is approximately 125, where SDQ is the Schmeltz Dicken Quotient, i.e. enamel thickness quo- tients calculated from the thickness of the leading and trailing edges of dentine triangle (Heinrich 1982). Such a value, following Maul et al. (1998, 2000), is consistent with an attribution to the early-middle Toringian small land Mammal Age, roughly correspondent to Marine Isotope Stage 13. Nonetheless, this biochronologic indi- cation has to be considered with caution, since the con-
servative features characterising the genus Arvicola in the Mediterranean area (Röttger, 1987). Accordingly, on the basis of just one molar, the hypothesis of a younger age can not be completely ruled out.
Summary on stratigraphy of CMLP
All the lithostratigraphic units outcropping at CMLP can be referred to the middle part of Middle Pleistocene (Fig. 4) basing on the fossil content and on the upper constraint of the Tufi stratificati varicolori di La Storta, 410 ± 1 ka old (Karner et al., 2001b). Unit A is part of a terrigenous fluvial depositional system, with volcanic pebbles of the Cerite District, and is thus referred to the
“Puntoni Fluvial Deposits” of De Rita et al. (1994a).
Units B to D are part of a mixed carbonatic and terrige- nous fluvial system, evolving upward to a sole carbonate system (unit E); units B to E are referred to “Middle Pleistocene travertines”.
The erosive surface that separates the “Puntoni Fluvial Deposits” from the “Middle Pleistocene travertines” is considered as a relevant unconformity, developed in a fluvial environment (Fig. 4). On the other hand, the top- most surface of the “Middle Pleistocene travertines” at about 130 m a.s.l. is a terraced surface, the first morpho- logical terraced surface in the Ceriti area, buried below the tuffs and so younger than 410 ka circa. Units F and G represent one of the westernmost, peripheral outcrops of the Sabatini Mts Volcanic District.
As far the climatic stratigraphy is concerned, several sedimentologic and paleontologic features from units A-E of CMLP, such as the presence of paleosols and of a widespread travertine sedimentation (see also Pedley et al., 2003) and the occurrence of taxa like E. antiquus, S. hundsheimensis, Axis sp. and Testudo sp., are consis- tent with a temperate-warm and relatively humid paleo- climate. These data suggest for the sedimentary units A- E the attribution to one or more interglacial stages of the middle part of Middle Pleistocene, such as the Marine Isotope Stages 15, 13 and 11. Moreover, the Tufi strati- ficati varicolori di La Storta were deposited in con- comitance with the MIS 11, which is considered climat- ically similar to the Present Interglacial (Loutre &
Berger, 2003; Kukla, 2005, with references).
DISCUSSION
Biochronology of the CMLP fossil fauna
On the basis of thus far available data, the vertebrate fossil content of CMLP site provides a fairly well defined biochronologic indication, that are consistent with the age constraint of the overlaying volcanic deposits, about 410 ka old.
The fossil assemblage could in fact be referred at list to the middle Galerian Mammal Age, since the occur- rence of a primitive deer (Axis), already present in Early Pleistocene faunal assemblages, together with Middle
Fig. 7 - Lower first molar of Arvicola mosbachensis (Schimdtgen).
Pleistocene taxa (Elephas antiquus) (Fig. 8). Apart from Axis, that is not recorded from faunas younger than the the Isernia FU, the discovered species are present in local faunas ascribed to the Isernia FU as well as in younger ones, such as Fontana Ranuccio and Torre in Pietra FUs, respectively in the late Galerian and Aurelian Mammal Ages. Thus, further considerations are needed to investigate the biochronologic significance of the CMLP fossil content and the chronostratigraphy of the outcropping succession.
Axis is only found in the CMLP lower level (CMPL 1 in Fig. 8), which could imply an attribution of this level’s fauna to the Isernia FU, suggesting an age of about 700- 600 ka. Indeed, the Isernia FU is mostly based on the Isernia-La Pineta and Notarchirico Local Faunas (see also Fig. 1), from successions approximately 600 ka old (Lefèvre & Raynal, 1999; Lefèvre et al., 1999; Coltorti et al., 2005).
On the other hand, morphological-evolutionary char- acters of Arvicola mosbachensis, found in the CMLP upper level (CMPL 2 in Fig. 8), are consistent with an attribution to the Fontana Ranuccio FU (MIS 13). For the Fontana Ranuccio Local Fauna, an age of about 460 ka has been indicated (Biddittu et al., 1979; 1984).
Hence different hypotheses on the biochronologic meaning of the CMLP fauna can be suggested. 1) Fossils from the lower level may pertain to the Isernia FU and those from the upper level to the Fontana Ranuccio FU.
In this case, it could be inferred a quite long temporal gap, in the order of 105years, between the deposition of the two fossiliferous levels. However, this hypothesis can not completely be supported by lithostratigraphy and facies analysis in estimating the hiatus of the erosive sur- face that separates units B-C from the underlaying unit A. It should only be reminded that this surface is consid- ered as an important unconformity within fluvial deposits (Fig. 4), although we have no elements other than fossils to interpret it as a boundary between two hypothetical 4thorder sequences.
Conversely, both the fossil levels may be attributed: 2) to the Isernia FU; or 3) to the Fontana Ranuccio FU. In both cases we have to suppose that Axis and a quite advanced morphotypes of Arvicola mosbachensis coex- isted at the transition from middle to late Galerian Mammal Age. Accordingly, a much shorter time interval between the two fossiliferous strata, in the order of 103- 104years, is inferred with respect to the first hypothesis.
Whatever the actual biochronologic meaning is, the CMLP site is the first Galerian site in the Ceriti Mts area and well fits with a large number of Middle Pleistocene fossiliferous sites of the Roman Basin (Fig. 8). On the basis of the only palaentological data an age ranging between 600 and 460 ka BP can be proposed for the sed- imentary units A-E of the CMLP site, approximately cor- respondent to the time interval between MIS 15 and MIS 12. This biochronological indication is consistent with
Fig. 8 - Chronostratigraphic scheme of the Ceriti Mts basin and chronologic distribution of fossils from the CMLP site (partly modified after Gliozzi et al., 1997, and Milli et al., 2004).
the lithostratigraphic constraint given by the overlaying Tufi stratificati varicolori di La Storta formation, 410 ± 1 ka old (Karner at al., 2001b).
However, since the vertebrate-bearing fluvial deposits and travertines were deposited during interglacials, it is more likely that sedimentation took place within the 600-500 ka time interval, corresponding to the MIS 15- MIS 13. The top surface of travertines is thus attributed to the MIS 13 and is approximately 500 ka old.
Inferences on local uplift
The CMLP site is located in a uplifted area, which is part of the coastal belt of northern-central Latium.
Chronological and elevation data from the CMLP site can be used to roughly estimate uplift in this local area.
In fact, the top surface of travertines, i.e. the first mor- phologic terrace in the Ceriti area, lays at about 130 m a.s.l. and is about 500 ka old (MIS 13). This surface is depositional and is related to travertines prograding on an ancient alluvial plain.
Considering the closeness of these travertines to the present-day coastline (Fig. 3a) and assuming for each Interglacial a local paleogeographic setting similar to the present one, as it is also testified by the occurrence of Upper Pleistocene coastal deposits (MIS 5.5) in the Cerveteri area (Bordoni & Valensise, 1998), it is possi- ble to infer a closeness of travertines to the former coast- line. It is therefore presumable that the travertines were deposited at the landward margin of the ancient coastal plain, during the MIS 13, and at few metres of elevation above the former sea level.
The eustatic sea level at MIS 13 is estimated to be sim- ilar to the present-day sea level, at 0.0 m with incertaini- ties in the ± 10.0 m interval (Pirazzoli, 1991; Murray- Wallace, 2002; Siddal et al., in press). So, for the almost 500 ka old travertines of the CMPL site, the present ele- vation datum of which is 130 m a.s.l., a 130 ± 10 m uplift might be inferred. This inference is based on the assumption that uplift results from the present-day ele- vation datum minus the former eustatic sea level posi- tion. Within the scenario of an about 130 m high local uplift, which occurred in the last 500 ka, the calculated uplift rate is of about 0.26 ± 0.02 mm/y.
However, it should be outlined that these calculations do not consider the real elevation a.s.l. of the travertines at 500 ka. This actually is an unknown value, although assumed to be close to the former s.l., that should be sub-
tracted from the present-day elevation datum. Therefore, the uplift and uplift rate here estimated are fairly specu- lative and affected by incertainities. Nevertheless, it is interesting to notice that uplift rates calculated for the Late Pleistocene-Holocene time interval in the Cerveteri-Santa Severa area, and based on well defined coastal markers of the MIS 5.5, are in the range of 0.19- 0.27 mm/y (Bordoni & Valensise, 1998), similar to the ones here presented. The Upper Pleistocene-Holocene uplift of the Ceriti area is considered as due to the over- position of volcanically-induced, local uplift to the regional signal of uplift.
However, it is our opinion that much more data, con- cerning in particular the Middle Pleistocene coastal deposits and forms, are needed to better estimate times and modes of uplift in the costal range of the Ceriti Mts.
CONCLUSION
The vertebrate-bearing, fluvial deposits and travertines cropping out at the Cerveteri Monte Li Pozzi belong to an ancient, uplifted alluvial plain. These deposits are referred to the middle part of Middle Pleistocene, approximately 600-500 ka old, and corre- spond to the MIS 15 and 13, on the basis of: 1) their fos- sil content; 2) the upper lithostratigraphic constraint, provided by the “Tufi stratificati varicolori di La Storta”, 410 ± 1 ka old.
Fossils are found in two different layers, both indicat- ing the middle-late Galerian Mammal Age: 1) in the lower level Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) antiquus and Axis sp.? A. eurygonos are found; 2) in the upper level Testudo sp., Arvicola mosbachensis, E. antiquus, Stephanorhinus cf. S. hundsheimensis and Dama cf. D.
clactoniana are found. Fossils from this new paleonto- logic finding represent the first Galerian faunal assem- blage in the Ceriti Mts area and a new Local Fauna with- in the wider Roman Basin.
It is here hypothesized that fluvial deposits and travertines have been uplifted to 130 m a.s.l. in the last 500 ka, with uplift rate of about 0.26 mm/y.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS- Authors are indebted with Profs. O.
Girotti, B. Mauz and P. Pieruccini and Dr. E. Sacchi for useful comments and discussions and with Dr. M. Pavia for the help in paleontological determination.
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Accettato per la stampa: Giugno 2006
