Museo di Paleontologia                  

               Comune di Bova (Reggio Calabria) ITALIA 

Paleontology Museum Comune of Bova (Reggio Calabria) Italy

At present the paleontologic collection is the first unit of the Museum. It consists of  an organic and systematic set of fossils specimens, as fauna and flora of Calabria. They are useful paleogeographic testimonies of climate, ambient and different eras which concern a long time: since 100.000 years ago until to about 120 millions years ago.

 Mammals

Among  the Mammals, there are remains of a cervide (Magacero) discovered in Bovetto (RC). This archeological find has been already object of study by the Institute of Heart’s Science, Messina University, in 1978.

Cetaceans Bones

Bones fragments of Cetaceans -the best identification-  have been discovered both in Puzzi (RC) and in Cassaniti (VV).

Fishes

Among the Fishes, there is a sign on a clay slab discovered in Terreti (RC); moreover there are some teeth of various kinds of Sharks (Selacei) and many otolithes and vertebrae of bony Fishes (Teleostei).

Echinoderms

Among the Echinoderms there are numerous and various Clypeaster and many Echinoidi. One of these is similar in particular to the “dollar of the beach”. There are also various fragments of scales and arms of Asteroidi -the best identification- and many radioli and aculeuses of different sea urchins belonging to Cidaris, Paracentrotus, Schizaster, Spatangus, Hemiaster genera and so on.

Brachiopods

Among the Brachiopods, there are many different species of Terebratule. Almost all of them date back to Tertiary age and have been discovered in Reggio Calabria either in the beaches of Puzzi, Terreti and Orti or in the clayey lands of Archi and Croce Valanidi.

Briozoi

Among the Briozoi, there are many different specimens of  Retepora and Membranipora genera. They date back to an age between Tertiary and ancient Quaternary.

Crustaceans

Among the Crustaceans, there are not only many entire specimens of crabs, but also numerous carapaces (dorsal-shells) and easily recognizable nippers. Among the sessile forms, there are Cirripedi with various kinds of Balani. They are very big and still entire.

Worms

Among the Worms, there are many tubicoli Policheti belonging to Ditrupa and Serpula genera, discovered in sandy lands of Bovetto, Musalà and Castellace (RC).

Coelenterates

Among the Coelenterates, there are many Antozoi. They are the only ones abled to support the extraordinary fossilization processes. There are very fine specimens of Coralli and Madreporari, they date back to numerous tens of millions years ago and they are realistic testimonies of peculiar environmental conditions as temperate-hot, troubled and oxygenated waters.

Porifers

There are only the traces of their existence named Domichnia and Pascichnia. In fact, many shells finely and homogeneously riddled by the epibionte activity of some of these, can be observed.

Mollusks

Because of the large quantity of specimens of  Mollusks, all of them in good conditions (someone is still with the original colors!) and their belongings to different genera, it is necessary to subdivide them in various classes.    

Vegetable Fossils

Among the vegetable fossils, there are:

-fossil fruits (Carpoliti) -the best identification-

-many signs on solid clay slabs related to flowers, pips and leafs, discovered in the lands of Pleistocene near to Reggio  Calabria

-various calcareous algae like Litothamnium.

 Other……