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Mauro M. Brunetti

  • Biodiversity Journal, 9 (4): 315-318

    Mauro M. Brunetti
    Two new records of fossil gastropods from the Italian upper Pleistocene
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2018.9.4.315.318

    ABSTRACT
    The examination of numerous materials related to the upper Pleistocene (“Tirreniano” sensu Authors) from Sardinia and Calabria led to the discovery of two new fossil species for the Mediterranean basin: Sinum bifasciatum (Récluz, 1851) (Gastropoda naticidae), found both in the upper Pleistocene of Sardinia and in that of Calabria, and Morula nodulosa (C.b. Adams, 1845) (Gastropoda Muricidae), found in the Sardinian upper Pleistocene. Both species are discussed and illustrated in this paper.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 8 (4): 871-874

    Mauro M. Brunetti
    Mactra pecchiolii Lawley, 1869 (Bivalvia Mactridae), a “forgotten pliocenic” taxon

    ABSTRACT
    A fossil bivalve belonging to the Pliocene has been recorded in southern Tuscany. Following bibliographic researches, it has been classified as a previously studied taxon that has never been cited afterwards: Mactra pecchiolii Lawley, 1869 (Bivalvia Mactridae). A lagoon environment of salt water has been speculated for this species.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 7 (3): 319-324

    Mauro M. Brunetti
    On some Pliocene Cancellaridae from the Mediterranean Basin with description of a new species

    ABSTRACT
    During the study on Pliocene Mediterranean malacofauna the author found the presence of a new species of the genus Sveltia Jousseaume, 1887 called S. confusa n. sp. The new species is present both in Zanclean sediments of Southern Spain (Guadalquivir basin and Estepona), and in Pliocenic sediments of Southern Tuscany. This species had been previously discussed and figured by various authors as Sveltia varicosa (Brocchi, 1814). During the research were also found some specimens similar to Ventrilia imbricata (Hörnes, 1856), a taxon which was already described for the Austrian Miocene. In this study the taxonomic position of V. imbricata, along with its presence in Pliocenic sediments and its relashionships with Scalptia etrusca Brunetti, Della Bella, Forli et Vecchi, 2008, are clarified.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 4 (1): 183-208

    Mauro M. Brunetti & Maurizio Forli
    The genus Aporrhais Da Costa, 1778 (Gastropoda Aporrhaidae) in the Italian Plio-Pleistocene

    ABSTRACT
    The species of the genus Aporrhais Da Costa, 1778 (Gastropoda, Aporrhaidae) of the italian Plio-Pleistocene are described and illustrated. To the three species known, A. pespelecani pespelecani (Linnaeus, 1758), A. uttingeriana (Risso, 1826) and A. peralata (Sacco, 1893), the new species A. etrusca n. sp., reported only for the Zanclean period of Tuscany (central Italy) and A. pliorara (Sacco, 1893), distributed from the Piacenzian to the Lower Pleistocene (Calabrian), elevated to species, are added; moreover, A. pespelecani var. crenatulina (Sacco, 1893), the most common in the italian lower-middle Pliocene, widespread from the Tortonian to the Piacenzian, is elevated to subspecies. A. serresiana (Michaud, 1827) is considered to have occurred in the Mediterranean basin only in very recent times. The examined species were compared either with extant taxa of Mediterranean (A. pespelecani pespelecani, A. serresiana) and Afro-Atlantic origin (A. pesgallinae Barnard, 1963 A. senegalensis Gray, 1838) or with species of the European Neogene: A. burdigalensis (d'Orbigny, 1852), A. meridionalis (Basterot, 1825), A. alata (Von Eichwald, 1830), A. dingdenensis Marquet, Grigis et Landau, 2002, A. scaldensis Van Regteren Altena, 1954 and A. thersites Brives, 1897.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 15 (3): 665-669

    Mauro M. Brunetti & Giano Della Bella
    On two fossils bivalve (Mollusca Bivalvia) from Lower Piacenzian of Spain with description of a new species
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2024.15.3.665.669
    https://www.zoobank.org/83CFEFF9-4944-4AD4-8FE9-342499C743DF

    ABSTRACT
    The study of fossil molluscs from the Lower Piacenzian of Spain has allowed us to discover a new species of bivalve belonging to the family Limidae: Acesta (s.l.) plioiberica n. sp. which is here illustrated and discussed. Another taxon, found both in the Spanish and Italian Pliocene and previously described as Saxicava arctica var. crassomagna Sacco, 1901, is here considered as a valid species with the name of Hiatella crassomagna.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 15 (3): 493-495

    Mauro M. Brunetti
    On the presence of Peronaea planata afroccidentalis (Cosel, 1995) (Bivalvia Tellinidae) from Iberian Lower Pliocene Atlantic deposit
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2024.15.3.493.495

    ABSTRACT
    The study of numerous malacological material coming from the Iberian Lower Pliocene Atlantic deposit has made it possible to confirm the fossil presence of Peronaea planata afroccidentalis (Cosel, 1995) (Bivalvia Tellinidae) previously considered only a form of Peronaea planata (Linnaeus, 1758).

  • Biodiversity Journal, 14 (3): 0437-0439

    Mauro M. Brunetti
    On Archimediella dicosmema (Fontannes, 1881) (Gastropoda Turritellidae) from the Lower Pliocene of Catalonia (Spain)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2023.14.3.437.439

    ABSTRACT
    The discovery of a rare species of the family Turritellidae Lovén, 1847 (Gastropoda), described by Fontannes in 1881 and of which there are very few subsequent reports or illustrations, is reported. Due to the particular sculpture of the shell, this taxon is ascribed to the genus Archimediella Sacco, 1895.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 13 (1): 0123-0131

    Mauro M. Brunetti
    Taxonomic notes on two bivalves (Mollusca Bivalvia) described by Charles-François Fontannes in 1882
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2022.13.1.123.131

    ABSTRACT
    During the study of the Pliocene malacofaunas of the Mediterranean Basin, it was ascertained that the name Spondylus ferreolensis Fontannes, 1882 cannot be used as a substitute for S. concentricus Bronn, 1831 of which the type material is here represented for the first time. The validity of Acanthocardia perrugosa (Fontannes, 1882) is also proposed, of which it was possible to view the type material, a species previously considered synonymous with A. paucicostata (GB Sowerby, 1841), or A. bianconiana (Cocconi, 1873) or A. aculeata (Linnaeus, 1758).

  • Biodiversity Journal, 12 (4): 0993-0996

    Mauro M. Brunetti & Ermanno Quagiotto
    On a new finding of Euciroa arenosa (Rayneval in Appelius, 1871) for the Lower Pliocene of the Mediterranean Basin (Mollusca Bivalvia Euciroidae)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2021.12.4.993.996

    ASBTRACT
    We report the discovery of a valve of Euciroa arenosa (Rayneval in Appelius, 1871) in the Spanish lower Pliocene, species rarely reported and even less depicted previously in the Italian Pliocene. The family Euriciroidae Dall, 1895 is briefly mentioned. The image of the type species, E. elegantissima Dall, 1881, is shown.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 11 (4): 0897-0902

    Mauro M. Brunetti
    On two rare species of Plio-Pleistocene marine molluscs of the Mediterranean Basin
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2020.11.4.897.902

    ABSTRACT
    During the study of the Plio-Pleistocene malacofaunas of the Mediterranean Basin, the presence of Liamorpha elegans (de Folin, 1870) was ascertained. This species has never been previously reported in sediments of the lower-middle Pliocene of central Italy and was reported only once in sediments of the upper Pleistocene (Tyrrhenian sensu Auctores) of southern Italy. Furthermore, the bivalve Tugonia anatina (Gmelin, 1791) was found in the Tyrrhenian of southern Spain. This is the second record in the upper Mediterranean Pleistocene after more than a hundred years; the specimen was compared with others, both from the Zanclean of the Guadalquivir Basin (Spain) and the Zanclean of Tuscany (Italy). Both species are discussed and illustrated.

  • Biodiversity Journal, 11 (2): 435-437

    Mauro M. Brunetti
    Rediscovery of Volvulella volvulaeformis (G. Seguenza, 1879) in the Italian Pliocene (Gastropoda Rhizoridae)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2020.11.2.435.437

    ABSTRACT
    A fossil gastropod for the Italian Pliocene is here reported. Following bibliographical research, it is assigned to a taxon previously described and never cited: Cylichna volvulaeformis G. Seguenza, 1880, which, according to its morphological characteristics, is assigned to the genus Volvulella Newton, 1891 (Gastropoda Rhizoridae).

  • Biodiversity Journal, 11 (1): 003-006

    Mauro M. Brunetti
    On the taxonomic validity of Lissochlamys perstriatula (Sacco, 1897) (Bivalvia Pectinidae)
    https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2020.11.1.3.6

    ABSTRACT
    The discovery in the Spanish lower Pliocene of Moguer (Huelva, Spain), the Guadalquivir basin, of some valves corresponding to Lissochlamys excisa var. perstriatula Sacco, 1897 is reported. The comparison with the typical material preserved in the Natural History Museum of Turin (Italy) confirmed the correspondence between the Iberian and the Italian specimens. Due to the characteristics of the sculpture and the shape of the valves which clearly differentiate it from L. excisa (Bronn, 1831), this var. perstriatula is elevated to a valid species.