Late Pleistocene fossils and the future distribution of Rana temporaria (Amphibia, Anura) along the Apennine Peninsula (Italy)

Abstract

Background: The effect of past climatic changes on the distribution of organisms is a fertile field of research that has been tackled in many different ways. Because the fossil record provides direct access to the chronological and geographic dimensions of biological events occurred in the past, it can be a useful tool for assessing range contractions and expansions related to climatic changes.Results: Here, we provide support for the 'recent' shrinkage of the range of a frigophilous anuran, the common frog, Rana temporaria Linnaeus, 1758, by analyzing the amphibian fossil assemblage coming from the Grotta di Equi, a Late Pleistocene site (about 45 ka) located in the Apuan Alps (northern Apennine chain, Massa-Carrara Province, Italy). Besides, R. temporaria, the assemblage includes cf. Salamandra salamandra Linnaeus, 1758 and Bufo bufo Linnaeus, 1758. Conclusions:The presence of R. temporaria in the Apuan Alps during a cold interglacial phase at an elevation that is much lower than the minimum current elevation in the region (about 300 m lower) supports the previously reported hypothesis that the Pleistocene coolings favored the dispersal of this frigophilous species along the Apennine chain and that its current, locally disjointed distribution is the effect of the post Pleistocene raise in temperature. Our results concur in predicting that the current global warming will further affect, negatively, the range of this frigophilous species by further reducing its distribution in the southern sectors of its range.

Hybridization and extensive mitochondrial introgression among fire salamanders in peninsular Italy

“…A scenario of post-glacial colonization of northern and central Apennines by S. s. salamandra , followed by the establishment of a hybrid zone in south-central Apennine and its subsequent displacement northward to its current location, would imply the absence of fire salamanders in the northern Apennines until the post-glacial arrival of S. s. salamandra . However, this scenario is in contrast with a fire salamander fossil record found in north-western Apennines (Grotta di Equi 42 ), close to our sampling site 14, and dated back to the last glacial epoch (around 45 000 years bp). The occurrence of this fossil record is instead consistent with a scenario of a secondary contact zone primarily located in the north-western Apennines, and a mtDNA introgression southward.…”

The Late Pleistocene faunal assemblage from Cava Muracci (Latium, Italy): Palaeoenvironmental implications for coastal central Italy during MIS 3

“…Members of the genus Rana (s.l.) have been present in Italy since the late Miocene (Bartolini et al, 2014;Curcio et al, 2007;Delfino, 2002Delfino, , 2004Holman, 1998;Kotsakis et al, 2011). The species of the genus Pelophylax are known as water frogs because they spend much of the summer living in aquatic habitats; on the other hand, the pond frogs (genus Rana) can be found more often on dry land as long as there is sufficient humidity (Lanza et al, 2007b).…”

“…belongs to the common toad Bufo bufo. Fossils belonging to B. bufo have been present in Italy since the late Miocene(Bartolini et al, 2014;Corbino, 2015; …”

Biogeographic history of Palearctic caudates revealed by a critical appraisal of their fossil record quality and spatio-temporal distribution

“…Fossils referred to Salamandra sp. or the extant species Salamandra salamandra (which is smaller and with less evident crests than S. sansaniensis) have been described from Late Miocene to Late Pleistocene deposits in Belgium, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Spain and Turkey [119,155,156,164,[179][180][181][182]. Remains referred to indeterminate species of the genus Salamandrina (see above) span the Early Miocene to the Early Pleistocene of Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy and Spain [119,154,164,183].…”