La fauna del Pleistocene superiore di Tana delle Iene (Ceglie Messapica, Brindisi, Italia meridionale)

Late Pleistocene fauna from “Tana delle Iene” (Ceglie Messapica, Brindisi, Southern Italy) - A vertebrate faunal assemblage of Late Pleistocene age from a fossiliferous karst filling deposit near Ceglie Messapica (Brindisi, Southern Italy) has been studied. The occurrence of two distinct layers has been detected since the early phases of the cave exploration: SU 8, of palaeontological importance, which can be interpreted as a paleosurface related to animal frequentation; SU 5, characterised by evident traces of human frequentation with wide hearth, rich in charcoal and fossil bones. From SU 8, about 4,300 fossil bones have been collected, even if 1,022 (approximately 31% of the total sample) can be determined. This assemblage contains abundant remains belonging to Equus ferus, Equus hydruntinus, Bos primigenius. Dama dama dama, Vulpes vulpes and osteological remains of Crocuta crocuta in association with coprolites. Despite the name given to the cave suggests that it could be a hyaena den, such a possibility is not fully supported by the available data, and the evidences suggest the frequentation of different carnivores (red fox and wolf besides hyaena) and humans. On the basis of stratigraphic data and of evolutionary degree of the taxa it is possible to assume that the fauna is referable to the time span 60 - 40 Ky BP. The interpretation of the fossils fauna and of pollen contents of coprolites suggests the presence in the region of steppe-grassland areas and marginal swamps. Key words: Vertebrates, Late Pleistocene, Apulia, Palaeoenvironment