remains of würmian myotis into ursus spelaeus skull from buco dell

Atti Ticinensi di Scienze della Terra Vol. 41 (2000)
41-47, 5 figg., 2 tabb.
REMAINS OF WÜRMIAN MYOTIS INTO URSUS SPELAEUS SKULL FROM BUCO DELL’ORSO CAVE
(LAGLIO - COMO - LOMBARDY, ITALY)
RESTI WÜRMIANI DI MYOTIS IN UN CRANIO DI URSUS SPELAEUS DALLA GROTTA DEL BUCO DELL’ORSO
(LAGLIO - COMO - LOMBARDIA, ITALIA)
G. SANTI (1)
ABSTRACT
been found in the sediment that enclosed a partial skull of
Ursus spelaeus. The discoveries of osteological parts
referred to exponents of the fam. Vespertilionidae are not
very common, mostly linked to fossils found in caves; this
fact is surely due to the habitat of survival of this mammals,
but above all to the fragility of the anatomical components.
Referring to the faunistic assemblages typical of Lombard
caves known by now, no fossils generally belonging to bats
have been pointed out. Records are given, on the contrary,
in sediments of Triveneto (AMBROSETTI et al., 1979; BON et
al., 1991 cum bibl.), and mostly as components of assemblages of central-southern-insular italian caves (KOTSAKIS
and PETRONIO, 1980).
More recently CAPASSO BARBATO and KOTSAKIS (1986)
described five species of Rhinolophus and Myotis from
Pleistocene of the Monte Cucco cave (Marche), giving
wide indications about their geographical distributions in
Europe.
Undoubtedly the strictly systematic-evolutionary aspect
leads to the study of forms which are much older than the
ones of Pleistocene; from this point of view we have to
remember the work of KOTSAKIS and MASINI (1989) about
the upper Turolian bats of Brisighella. Anyway there is a
certain scarcity of studies about the Quaternary bats in italian assemblages; on the contrary, the ones about the rests
of central-eastern Europe appear much more numerous
(KOWALSKI, 1956; 1962 a; 1962 b; 1971; KOWALSKI and LI,
1963; OGNEV, 1962; RABEDER, 1972; 1973 a; 1973 b;
1977), like the ones from France (SCHREUDER, 1959;
JULLIEN, 1972 a; 1972 b; PHILIPPE et al., 1980), while
STORCH (1974) analysed systematically the chiropters from
Malta. The most systematic aspect is finally approached in
the works by TATE (1941), TOPAL (1963; 1964; 1970; 1975;
1979; 1981), while SEVILLA (1986; 1988), SEVILLA and
LOPEZ MARTINEZ (1988) identify each principal genera of
spanish chiropters using dental parameters.
In the Buco dell’Orso cave near Laglio (Como) some fossils of bears
have been recovered. In the sediment that filled a skull of U. spelaeus
contains some very well preserved fossils of a vespertilionid ascribed to
Myotis (Selysius) bechsteini (LEISLER in KUHl, 1818). The bears assemblage of the Buco dell’Orso cave has a Würmian age, and since the bat has a
primary position, it can be ascribed to the same age or anyway just little
later.
RIASSUNTO
Nella grotta del Buco dell’Orso (Laglio-Como) sono stati rinvenuti
diversi fossili di ursidi. Nel sedimento che inglobava un cranio di U.
spelaeus sono venuti alla luce resti ben conservati di un vespertilionide
attribuiti a Myotis (Selysius) bechsteini (LEISLER in KUHl, 1818).
L’associazione ad ursidi della grotta del Buco dell’Orso è riferita al
Würmiano quindi, essendo il chirottero in posizione primaria, può essere datato al medesimo momento temporale o comunque, di poco più
recente.
KEY WORDS: VESPERTILIONIDAE, MYOTIS, SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTION,
WÜRM
PAROLE CHIAVE: VESPERTILIONIDAE, MYOTIS, DESCRIZIONE SISTEMATICA,
WÜRM
1. INTRODUCTION
The Buco dell’Orso cave (Fig. 1) is situated near the village of Laglio (Como) on the western side of the Como
Lake. A faunistic assemblage, the prevalent component of
which is given by Ursus spelaeus, come from this place;
among the fossils that are found together with the bears
there are the ones of bovidae and cervidae in general, but
some rests of a vespertilionid, perfectly preserved, have
(1) DIPARTIMENTO DI SCIENZE DELLA TERRA DELL’UNIVERSITÀ,VIA FERRATA, 1 - 27100 PAVIA
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