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During the Cenozoic, the constant northward movement of the African plate led to the division of the Tethys Ocean into two: the Palaeomediterranean and the Paratethyan branches. The latter was represented by a huge epicontinental sea and brackish to freshwater lakes that extended across central Europe and western Asia. Neogene and Quaternary ostracods from the Paratethys originated through major adaptive radiations, which gave rise to endemic brackish taxa. Unfortunately, much confusion surrounds their taxonomy, due to the quality of descriptions and images in the original literature and the incompleteness of the type material, making necessary a taxonomic revision. In this paper, we propose a systematic revision of several Paratethyan endemic candonid genera based on the analysis of the type material, new material collected from the type localities, and new fossil material from the Ponto-Caspian area. The study focuses on the description of the valve morphology and particularly on the geometric morphometric analysis of the valve outline. Thirty-three genera were taken into account of which four (Advenocypris, Candoniella, Graviacypris, Telekia) were considered to be junior synonyms of Typhlocypris, Pseudocandona or Candona. Moesiella is considered a nomen nudum. In the case of Caspiollina, Dacicandona, Liventalina and Turkmenella the scarcity of material and/or the poor descriptions reported in the literature prevented us from performing a full revision. The monospecific genus Thaminocypris possibly includes a teratological form. The remaining 23 genera were merged into nine valid, endemic, genera (Bakunella, Camptocypria, Caspiocypris, Hastacandona, Lineocypris, Pontoniella, Propontoniella, Typhlocyprella and Zalanyiella). Emended diagnoses and descriptions are proposed for these genera and a new species, Bakunella anae sp. nov., is described. This study considerably reduces the taxonomic uncertainty within the Paratethyan candonids, providing new data for the evaluation of the palaeobiodiversity of the Paratethyan domain. Finally, the palaeobiogeography of Paratethyan candonids during the Neogene and Quaternary is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the geological map at 1:25,000 scale of the Plio-Quaternary Paganica-San Demetrio-Castelnuovo Basin corresponding to the epicentral area of the 6 April 2009 Mw: 6.29 L'Aquila earthquake. The map focuses on the relationships between the active tectonics and the Plio-Quaternary deposits and on the early evolution of this continental basin. Fine-scale geological field surveys, coupled with paleontological data, facies analyses, well logs and geophysical data interpretation, allowed to better understand the stratigraphy and to review the previously described stratigraphical units, resulting in the definition of eight synthems, spanning from late Piacenzian to Holocene. More precisely, the occurrence of a Caspiocypris species flock (ostracods) at the base of the sedimentary infill of the basin formed by a lacustrine system, suggests that the onset of deposition started in the late Piacenzian. The lacustrine system disappeared around the Gelasian/Calabrian transition, while the subsequent evolution of the sedimentary basin was characterized by the presence of fluvial and alluvial fan systems progressively entrenched into the lake deposits. The results of the above-mentioned activities are summarized in the attached geological map, where the Plio-Quaternary synthems and the active normal faults accountable for the significant seismicity were highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tiberino Basin is a wide Plio-Pleistocene intermountain basin located in central Apennine (central Italy). Its sedimentary infill is made of a thick succession of Pliocene-early Quaternary continental deposits, the oldest of which can be referred to the Fosso Bianco Formation, composed of grey clays deposited in a huge (at least 500 km²) and relatively deep (not less than 50 m) lake, the Palaeolake Tiberino. We analyse the lacustrine ostracod assemblages from the Fosso Bianco Formation and provide descriptions of five new species included in the subfamily Candoninae (Caspiocypris basilicii sp. nov., Caspiocypris perusia sp. nov., Caspiocypris posteroacuta sp. nov., Caspiocypris tiberina sp. nov. and Caspiocypris tuderis sp. nov.)) and one new species included in the subfamily Limnocytherinae (Paralimnocythere umbra sp. nov.)). The five species of Caspiocypris seem to represent a species flock, i.e. Caspiocypris includes a group of closely related species characterized by monophyly, endemism and speciosity, confirming the 'ancient lake' nature of the Palaeolake Tiberino during the Piacenzian-Gelasian. The ostracod assemblage points to a relatively deep-water and low energy lacustrine environment marked by a high level of endemism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater ostracod assemblages from San Demetrio Synthem (L'Aquila Basin, central Apennines, Italy), dating back to the late Piacenzian–Gelasian, are studied. Six genera and eight species are recognised, six of which are new:Caspiocypris amiterniSpadi & Gliozzi sp. nov.,C. bosiiSpadi & Gliozzi sp. nov.,C. nicandroiSpadi & Gliozzi sp. nov.,C. vestinaeSpadi & Gliozzi sp. nov.,Cypria bikeratiaSpadi & Gliozzi sp. nov., andIlyocypris ilaeSpadi & Gliozzi sp. nov. Additionally, one fragmentary valve referred toParalimnocytherecf.P. dictyonalisMedici, Ceci & Gliozzi, 2011, one valve ascribed toAmnicythereex gr.stanchevaeKrstić, 1975, one fragment tentatively identified asLimnocythere? sp. and four poorly preserved valves of Cypridoidea indet. were also recovered. The genusCaspiocyprisis revised, and an emended diagnosis is provided. Comparisons are made with the most similar co-generic species occurring in the Neogene of Italy and the Paratethyan domain. The ostracod fauna of the San Demetrio Synthem shows the greatest affinity at the generic level with the Pontian (Messinian–Zanclean) ostracods of the Pannonic, Dacic and Euxinic Basins. To explain this affinity, two hypotheses are discussed: (1) passive dispersal of Paratethyan forms into the Italian Plio–Pleistocene palaeolakes; and (2) endemic evolution of several species in different Plio–Pleistocene palaeolakes from the Paratethyan-like late Messinian Lago-Mare ostracod fauna of the Palaeomediterranean area. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:881D73C7-E62E-460A-A465-363DAE20A8D5 [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]