%0 Journal Article
%T The fossil fish of Salento: a history of thei discovery and their study
%A Luigi Capasso
%J -
%D 2016
%X En The main stages through which knowledge has been gained of the two main fossil fish faunas of Salento are initially outlined here. This includes the fossils contained in the Cretaceous limestone, and those extracted from the Miocene biomicrite known as ¡®Lecce stone¡¯. The in-depth analysis of the main historical sources has shown that the first information only related to the fossil fish of the Cretaceous era. This information dates from the end of the eighteenth century, and is the result of the activities of the Paduan Abbot Alberto Fortis, through whom the information also spread throughout Europe. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Abbot Giuseppe Maria Giovene clearly described both the Cretaceous fossils and those of the Miocene. Throughout the nineteenth century, the interest of researchers was concentrated exclusively on the fossils of the Miocene biomicrite. The main findings were due to the activities of Oronzo Gabriele Costa and his son Giuseppe,and this was followed by the activities of Giovanni Capellini. However, the systematic study of these fossils was then led by Francesco Bassani only at the beginning of the twentieth century. Some local enthusiasts, such as Ulderigo Botti, also had important roles in the collection of these fossils. Only at the beginning of the twentieth century did research on the fossil fish from the Cretaceous period resume, due to the work of both professionals,such as Geremia D¡¯Erasmo, and amateurs, such as Cosimo De Giorgi and Francesco Capasso. In the 1970¡¯s, there were extraordinary developments in the knowledge of the fossil fish from the Cretaceous through the excavations conducted on site by Lorenzo Sorbini and studies performed in the laboratory, especially by Louis Paul Taverne. Finally, as a result of the activities of the Salento Naturalist Group (Gruppo Naturalisti Salentini; formed in 1982), the surveillance of the quarrying on site was increased and became more effective,with the result that a large and important collection of fossil fish from both the Cretaceous and the Miocene has been built up at the Museum of the Environment of the University of Salento, under the direction of Genuario Belmonte.<< >>L¡¯autore tratteggia le principali tappe attraverso le quali si ¨¨ determinata la conoscenza delle due principali ittiofaune fossili del Salento: quella estratta dalle biomicriti mioceniche dette ¡°Pietra leccese¡± e quella contenuta nei calcari cretacei. L¡¯analisi approfondita delle principali fonti storiche ha permesso di dimostrare che le prime notizie riguardano esclusivamente i pesci
%U http://siba-ese.unisalento.it/index.php/thalassiasal/article/view/16538