« La formation de Colombacci et le sommet de la formation Di Tetto (‘‘Messinien terminal’’ des Apennins septentrionaux) sont d’âge zancléen : nouvelles données paléoenvironnementales sur la coupe de Maccarone (Marche, Italie) » par Popescu et al. (2007) Geobios 40 (359–373)

Two possible alternative interpretations of the claimed Zanclean age (Popescu et al., 2007) of two historical lithostratigraphic units of the Northern Apennines, usually referred to as Late Messinian in age and recording the so called Lagomare final event of the Messinian salinity crisis (MSC), are here discussed. The wrong age attribution of the Colombacci and "tetto" Fms. is ruled out based on data from the Maccarone and other sections showing that the Colombacci-Argille Azzurre Fm. boundary is basin wide synchronous and coincident with the Miocene-Pliocene boundary as far as it has been formally defined in the Eraclea Minoa GSSP. Alternatively, the opportunity of emending the Zanclean GSSP to a stratigraphically lower horizon recording the first evidence of marine influences in the Mediterranean following the MSC peak, seems not suitable, as (1) the marine signature of uppermost Messinian deposits is weak and still controversial and (2) no significant bio- and magnetostratigraphic events, well chronologically defined and recognizable at a global scale appear to be available to such a purpose.Published669-6752.2. Laboratorio di paleomagnetismoJCR Journalreserve