Collection: Catullo Collection

Systematic - Paleontology

Reign: Animalia
Phylum/Division: Chordata (Vertebrata)
Class: Mammalia
Order: Proboscidea
Family: Elephantidae
Scientific name: Elephas sp.

Geological age

Geochronology (Chronostratigraphy)

Eon (Eontema): Phanerozoic
Era (Eratema): Cenozoic
Period (System): : Neogene
Epoca (Serie): Pleistocene
Other chronological subdivisions: Pleistocene

Description: Fragment of fossil elephant tusk, similar to those of modern elephants. The specimen, belonging to Vallisneri’s Museum, comes from Valdarno. In the Arno Valley there are several fossil deposits; those in the lower part of the valley, discovered in the mid-eighteenth century, belong to the Pliocene, those at the top, date to the Pleistocene. Probably this fossil comes from the upper Arno Valley. In both sections teeth and other Proboscidea remains, belonging to mastodons and elephants, were found. The Pleistocene field, located along the stretch of the Arno Valley between Rignano and Laterina (Valdarno), is known since the Renaissance: it is one of the classic paleontological vertebrate sites. Stenone, Buffon and Cuvier were among the first researchers who have studied the faunas of the upper Valdarno.

Location

Continent/Subcontinent: Europe
State: Italy
Region: Toscana
Province: Arezzo
Municipality: Arezzo
Place: Valdarno

Università degli Studi di Padova, Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia

Item code: 6383C

Bibliography

• Fornasiero M., Piccoli G., 2000 - "I Fossili" . In Catalogo della Mostra "La curiosità e l'ingegno. Collezionismo scientifico e metodo sperimentale a Padova nel Settecento". Pp. 146-159, Univ. degli Studi di Padova, CISMS, Padova.