A bridge too far. Comment on “Processes of island colonization by Oligo-Miocene land mammals in the central Mediterranean: New data from Scontrone (Abruzzo, Central Italy) and Gargano (Apulia, Southern Italy)” by P.P.A. Mazza and M. Rustioni [Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 267 (2008) 208–215]

Abstract: Mazza and Rustioni [Mazza, P.P.A., Rustioni, M., 2008. Processes of island colonization by Oligo-Miocene land mammals in the central Mediterranean: New data from Scontrone (Abruzzo, Central Italy) and Gargano (Apulia, Southern Italy). Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclim. Palaeoecol. 267 (3–4), 208–215.] suggest that land bridges played an important role in the colonization of the Abruzzo–Apulian bioprovince, as shown by the fossil vertebrates from Scontrone and Gargano. Would they have been able to demonstrate that land bridges indeed played a role in the dispersion of mammals, this would have implied that we had to rethink the modes of colonization for many other isles and rewrite our theories on island biogeography. Unfortunately, their evidence falls short, and even though their paper provides new insights in the history of the insular faunas of the Apulia platform, there is no reason to assume that land bridges played any role in the colonization of these islands. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]