183Bollettino della Società Paleontologica Italiana, 48 (3), 2009, 183-188. Modena, 15 novembre 2009

ISSN 0375-7633

INTRODUCTION

The genus Bythocythere Sars includes more than200 living and/or fossil species (Stepanova, 2006), mostof them given in open or uncertain nomenclature, whenreported. It has a present-day and fossil worldwidedistribution, being known from the Tertiary to the Recent.

In the Boreal hemisphere, recent or living specieshave been reported, mostly from the Arctic and northernseas including localities from the British Isles (Athersuchet al., 1983, 1989), Norway (Sars, 1926), Greenland(Whatley et al., 1996), Ireland (Whatley & Wall, 1969),Novaya Zemlya (Neale & Howe, 1975), Laptev Sea,Siberia (Stepanova et al., 2003). Some species extendsouthward as far as North Carolina (Hazel, 1975) and theTsushima Strait, Japan (Tanaka, 2008).

Only two species, i.e. B. minima Bonaduce, Ciampo& Masoli, 1975 and B. turgida Sars, 1866, presently livein the Mediterranean Sea (Puri et al., 1969; Bonaduce etal., 1970, 1975, 1983; Arbulla et al., 2004). Both of themthrive in bathyal assemblages, locally becomingdominant (Puri et al., 1969), but their presence has beenreported also from the Circalittoral Zone (Bonaduce etal., 1975).

Fossil records from European areas include severalspecies dating back to the Early Miocene of the Avignonbasin, SE France (Jacobzone & Carbonnel, 1971), thePliocene of Calabria (Ciampo, 1992), and the Plio-Pleistocene of the Vrica Section (Colalongo & Pasini,1980). Pleistocene findings relate to localities from

England, Norway (Athersuch et al., 1983), the NorthernAtlantic (Cronin et al., 1999), Greenland (Jones et al.,1999) and Italy (Benson & Sylvester Bradley, 1971;Ciampo, 1976; Amore et al., 2000). The genus has beenrecorded also from Pleistocene submarine cores inSouthern Atlantic (Majoran & Dingle, 2001), off MarionIsland, sub Antarctic (Dingle, 2002) and in Holocenemarine sediments of the Mississippi delta (Howe & vanden Bold, 1975).

A new fossil species is here erected for specimensfound in bathyal sediments cropping out at “PuntaMessinese” (Cape Milazzo Peninsula, NE Sicily),deposited during the Early Pleistocene (Globorotaliatruncatulinoides excelsa Zone).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sedimentary layers consisting of yellow silts, sandysilts and silty sands crop out discontinuously along thesteep cliff bounding the Cape Milazzo Peninsula (NESicily). These sediments unconformably lay on a shallow-water Miocene sedimentary succession or directly on themetamorphic basement of the Calabrian Complex and aresuperiorly truncated by the erosive surface of theTyrrhenian stage on which a thin layer of polymicticconglomerates deposited, topped by volcanic ashes.

These sediments were deposited during the LatePliocene, although locally reaching the Early Pleistocene(Violanti, 1988; Fois, 1990; Sciuto, 2003, 2005), in

Bythocythere mylaensis n. sp. (Crustacea, Ostracoda) from the EarlyPleistocene of Capo Milazzo (NE Sicily)

Francesco SCIUTO

F. Sciuto, Dipartimento di Scienze Geologiche, Sezione di Oceanologia e Paleoecologia, Corso Italia 55, I-95129 Catania, Italy; fsciuto@unict.it

KEY WORDS - Marine ostracods, Bythocytheridae, New species, Early Pleistocene, Bathyal, Sicily.

ABSTRACT - A new fossil species of Ostracoda of the genus Bythocythere Sars, 1866, Bythocythere mylaensis n. sp. is described.The specimens have been discovered in locality “Punta Messinese” (Cape Milazzo Peninsula, NE Sicily) in Early Pleistocene sandy-siltysediments (Globorotalia truncatulinoides excelsa Zone) cropping out in unconformity on Messinian limestones. Moreover, other fossilspecimens coming from post glacial taphocoenoses off Santa Maria di Leuca (northern Ionian Sea) can be assigned to Bythocytheremylaensis n. sp.

RIASSUNTO - [Bythocythere mylaensis (Crustacea, Ostracoda), specie nuova del Pleistocene Inferiore di Capo Milazzo (Sicilia NE)] -Viene descritta, su esemplari fossili, una nuova specie di ostracode marino appartenente al genere Bythocythere Sars, 1866, Bythocytheremylaensis n. sp. Il genere, conosciuto dal Terziario all’Attuale, comprende oltre 200 specie ed ha una distribuzione geografica estremamenteampia. Particolarmente numerose sono le segnalazioni nell’Artico e nei mari freddi dell’emisfero settentrionale, dove il genere sembra avereuna distribuzione ecologica nei piani infra- e circalitorale. In Mediterraneo sono segnalate attualmente solo due specie la cui distribuzionecomprende anche il piano batiale. La nuova specie qui descritta presenta caratteri morfologici estremamente peculiari: il carapace, di mediedimensioni (L = 0,527 mm; H = 0,284 mm; l = 0,170 mm), mostra, in vista laterale, un forte rigonfiamento nella sua parte centrale chedetermina, in vista dorsale, un netto profilo ad “elmetto” con aree marginali anteriori e posteriori fortemente appiattite. L’ornamentazione,presente prevalentemente nella parte centrale del carapace, è costituita da un delicato reticolo poligonale, i tubercoli oculari sono assenti e lacerniera è di tipo molto semplice (lophodonte). Gli esemplari di questa specie sono stati rinvenuti in località “Punta Messinese”, all’estremitàdella Penisola di Capo Milazzo (Sicilia NE), in sedimenti sabbioso-siltosi di ambiente batiale del Pleistocene Inferiore (Zona a Globorotaliatruncatulinoides excelsa) affioranti in discordanza su calcari messiniani. Vengono riferiti a Bythocythere mylaensis n. sp. anche esemplaririnvenuti in tafocenosi batiali post glaciali al largo di Santa Maria di Leuca (Ionio Settentrionale).

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epibathyal environments as testified by brachiopods(Gaetani & Saccà, 1984), bryozoans (e.g. Rosso, 2002),foraminifers (Violanti, 1988) and ostracod associations(Sciuto, 2003, 2005).

One of the samples used for the palaeoenvironmentalcharacterization of these sediments was collected at“Punta Messinese”, the western ending point of the CapeMilazzo Peninsula. These sediments, which filled ashallow hollow in the Messinian Porites limestone,consist of grey sandy-silty marls deposited during theEarly Pleistocene (Globorotalia truncatulinoidesexcelsa Zone). In these sediments were obtained a fewspecimens belonging to Bythocythere Sars, 1866, whichcannot be ascribed to any of the already known species.

Bythocythere valves were examined and measuredunder a LMU Tescan Vega II SEM.

The material is housed in the PalaeontologicalMuseum of Catania University (PMC).

SYSTEMATICS

Class OSTRACODA Latreille, 1806Order PODOCOPIDA Sars, 1866

Family BYTHOCYTHERIDAE Sars, 1866

Genus Bythocythere Sars, 1866

Bythocythere mylaensis n. sp.(Pl. 1, figs. 1-12)

2005 Bythocythere sp. 1. Sciuto, p. 222.2008 Bythocythere sp. 1. Sciuto, p. 21.

Derivatio nominis - From the Greek Mylae, the oldname of the Milazzo town (Messina, NE Sicily).

Holotype - The left valve (L = 0.527 mm; H = 0.284mm; l = 0.17 mm) figured in Pl. 1, fig. 2(PMC.O1h.05.04.2007).

Paratypes - Five left valves and four right valves fromthe same sample figured in Pl. 1, figs. 1, 4-5, 7, 10(PMC.O1-9p.05.04.2007).

Type locality - “Punta Messinese” at the farthestend of Cape Milazzo Peninsula (Tav. Milazzo, F.253 IVSO, 38°16’09”N, 15°13’27”E), in grey sandy-silty marlsfrom the Globorotalia truncatulinoides excelsa Zoneof the Lower Pleistocene.

Other material - A single left valve from the AP30sample, from off Santa Maria di Leuca (northern IonianSea), 745 m depth, from sediments dated to the last postglacial (Malinverno et al., 2009).

Stratigraphic range - Early Pleistocene to latest postglacial of the central Mediterranean area.

Diagnosis - Bythocythere mylaensis n. sp. ischaracterized by valves with a strongly inflated centralpart, helmet-shaped in dorsal view, with wide flattenedanterior and posterior marginal areas.

Description - Carapace medium-sized, subrhomboidalin lateral view (Pl. 1, figs. 1-2). Anterior margin regularlyarched. Dorsal margin long and straight, passing into thecaudal process of the posterior area, through a slightcurvature in subdorsal position. Caudal process small,slightly obtuse and well marked. Ventral margin sinuous,with a light oral convexity anteriorly, and regularly andsteeply bending posteriorly, towards the caudal process.Anterior and posterior marginal area flattened and wide.Central part of valves strongly inflated, convex; weakdorsomedian sulcus (Pl. 1, figs. 1-2, 4).

Carapace narrow and dorsally obtuse, in frontal view;its outline becoming progressively inflated towards thecentral part, where the maximum thickness is reached,and gently bevelled ventrally.

Valves centrally inflated and characteristically helmet-shaped in dorsal view (Pl. 1, fig. 4); laterally connectedwith pointed and narrow anterior and posterior flat areas,through a marked step and a gentle bending, respectively.

Outer surface ornamented by a weak polygonalreticulum formed by intersecting muri and fossae, barelyvisible through stereomicroscope, with longitudinalelements more marked in the ventrolateral area.Ornamentation absent in the flattened marginal areas,except for the anterior margin, which appears weakly

EXPLANATION OF PLATE 1

figs. 1-12 - Bythocythere mylaensis n. sp.1 - Right valve, external lateral view (scale bar = 200 µm).2 - Left valve, external lateral view (scale bar = 200 µm).3 - Left valve, detail of anterior marginal area (scale bar = 50 µm)4 - Right valve, external dorsal view (scale bar = 200 µm).5 - Right valve, external ventral view (scale bar = 200 µm).6 - Right valve, external ventral view: detail (scale bar = 50 µm).7 - Right valve, internal lateral view (scale bar = 200 µm).8 - Right valve, internal view: hinge (scale bar = 100 µm).9 - Right valve, internal view: detail of hinge (scale bar = 50 µm).10 - Right valve, internal lateral view: detail of duplicature in the anterior marginal area (scale bar = 100 µm).11 - Right valve, internal view: detail of posteroventral area (scale bar = 100 µm).12 - Right valve, transparency (scale bar = 200 µm).

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185F. Sciuto - Bythocythere mylaensis n. sp. from the Pleistocene of Sicily Pl. 1

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scalloped (Pl. 1, fig. 3). Normal pore-canals simple,numerous and evenly distributed on the carapace (Pl. 1,fig. 3). Inner lamella: anteriorly and postero-ventrallywide; there are a narrow anterior vestibulum and a wideone in postero-dorsal area (Pl. 1, figs. 7, 10, 12),relatively numerous marginal pore-canals simple, shortand only visible in the anterior margin (Pl. 1, fig. 12).

Eye tubercles absent.Hinge lophodont: a straight groove parallel to the

dorsal margin with two small simple teeth at the anteriorand posterior extremities, in the right valve; left valvecomplementary (Pl. 1, figs. 4, 7-9).

Three wide but lightly marked ripples (Pl. 1, figs. 7,11) visible on the inner side of the posteroventral marginalarea.

Muscle scars not visible.

Remarks - The here-described species ischaracterized by features, such as the general shape ofthe shell, shared by Bythocytheridae and Loxoconchidae.Unfortunately, central muscle scars, which represent anunequivocal diagnostic character, are not visible on theavailable material. Nevertheless, the species has beenconfidently assigned to Bythocythere, using the absenceof sieve pores canal and the lophodont hinge in this lattergenus.

Bythocythere mylaensis n. sp. is easilydistinguishable from all other species within the genusbecause of the wide and strongly flattened anterior andposterior marginal areas opposite to the strongly inflated,convex central part of the carapace.

The species resembles Bythocythere sp. 1 describedby Stepanova (2006) from Late Pleistocene sedimentsof the Circalittoral Zone of Western Laptev Sea;Bythocythere sp. collected by Howe & van den Bold(1975) from shallow water (30 m depth) Recentsediments of the Gulf of Mexico and Loxoconcha sp. A,living specimen collected by Cronin (1983) from deepwaters (400 m) of the Florida-Hatteras Slope, becauseof the strongly inflated valves with flattened widemarginal, both anterior and posterior areas. Nevertheless,in specimens by Stepanova (2006), the central part of thecarapaces exhibits a marked narrow dorsomedian sulcusand is entirely ornamented with fossae and muri, andshows sensibly smaller pore-canals. The specimenfigured by Howe & van den Bold (1975) and Cronin(1983), although sharing with B. mylaensis n. sp. a verysimilar outline and the absence of a median sulcus, hassmaller pore-canals.

B. mylaensis n. sp. is strongly similar also toostracods from different deep-sea areas, doubtfullyassigned to the genus Rhombobythere Schornikov (1982),considered a “very shallow marine genus” (Mc Gowranet al., 2000, p. 438), and reported in open nomenclature,i.e. ?Rhombobythere sp. 1 from between 562 m and 2215m depth in the western Coral Sea, New Guinea (Corrège,1993, Pl. 1, figs. 3-4) and ?Rhombobythere sp. 1 fromLate Pleistocene sediments of the southern RockallPlateau at 2196 m depth (Didié & Bauch, 2000, Pl. 1,figs. 23-24; Didié et al., 2002). Both sets of specimensshare several features with B. mylaensis n. sp., particularlythe inflated shape of valves and their outline in lateralview. Nevertheless, carapaces of these “Rhombobythere”

specimens are slightly more elongate (showing lowerH/L values), and exhibit more inflated central areas pittedby smaller and more numerous pore-canals.

It is noteworthy that the ?Rhombobythere sp. 1specimens reported above exhibit features, which do notfit well within the description of the genusRhombobythere whose species have valves with a roundedventral margin, narrow vestibula, only developed alongthe anterior margin, different marginal pore-canals andhinge, the presence of eye tubercles (Schornikov, 1982).In contrast, specimens by Corrège (1993), Didié & Bauch(2000) and Didié et al. (2002), either cospecific orbelonging to two different species, because of theirmorphological characters and strong affinity with B.mylaensis, could be more suitably assigned to the genusBythocythere Sars (1866).

DISCUSSION

At Cape Milazzo B. mylaensis n. sp. has been foundassociated with an ostracod fauna characterized by thestrong dominance of a few species (40% of theassociation), i.e. Bythocypris obtusata (Sars, 1866), B.bosquetiana (Brady, 1866), Sclerochilus contortus(Norman, 1861), and Bairdia conformis (Terquem,1878), followed by Pseudocythere armata Bonaduce etal., 1980, P. caudata (Sars, 1866) Cytherella vulgatellaAiello et al., 1996, Ruggeriella decemcostata Colalongo& Pasini, 1980, Henryhowella gr. sarsii (Müller, 1894),Quasibuntonia radiatopora (Seguenza, 1880),Bythoceratina scaberrima (Brady), Krithe compressa(Seguenza, 1880) K. perpulchra Abate et al., 1993,Profundobythere sp., Paijenborchella malaiensisKingma, 1948, Pedicythere phryne Bonaduce et al.,1975. Such a composition and the structure of theassociation as a whole, has been interpreted as indicativeof Bathyal environments (Benson, 1975; Dingle & Lord,1990; inter alias) seemingly, in the present locality,deeper than about 600 m (Sciuto, 2003, 2005).Analogously, the single specimen from S. Maria di Leuca(northern Ionian Sea) originates from subsurfacesediments sampled at 745 m depth and including large-sized fragments of the deep-water coral Lophelia pertusa(Linnaeus) (Sciuto, 2008; Rosso et al., 2009), whichseemingly lived after the Würmian acme (Malinverno etal., 2009).

It follows that B. mylaensis n. sp. can be consideredas a bathyal taxon, with ecological requirementsseemingly unchanged throughout the Pleistocene. Atpresent, B. mylaensis n. sp. seems to be restricted in bothits stratigraphical and geographical distribution, beingonly known from Pleistocene sediments of the centralMediterranean area, including north-eastern Sicily (LowerPleistocene outcrops) and the northern Ionian Sea (UpperPleistocene underwater cores).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author is grateful to Prof. Antonio Russo (University ofModena and Reggio Emilia) and Prof. Antonietta Rosso (Universityof Catania) for the discussion and suggestions on the manuscript.Thanks are due also to the referees Prof. David J. Horne (University

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of Greenwich) and Prof. Nevio Pugliese (University of Trieste)for useful remarks and suggestions. The SEM photos were madeby Mr. Alfio Viola (University of Catania). Material and fundingwere provided by PRA grants to A. Rosso and the CoNISMaproject FIRB-RBAU 01RKC7-Deep-Sea Coral Banks of theApulian Plateau (Ionian Sea). Catania Palaeoecological ResearchGroup contribution n. 353.

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Manuscript received 06 April 2009Revised manuscript accepted 14 October 2009

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