THE CONTINENTAL VERTEBRATE FOSSIL RECORD OF SARDINIA (ITALY): BIOSTRATIGRAPHY, PALAEOBIOGEOGRAPHY, PALAEOECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION IN INSULAR ENVIRONMENT

In the present work, an updated overview on the record of the terrestrial vertebrates of Sardinia has been provided using new biostratigraphic, paleobiogeographic and paleoecological data. To date, it is clear that large gaps concerning the fossil record of the island are still present; for example, despite the presence of formations closely correlable to those present in the French and Iberian areas, data on the register of Mesozoic vertebrates are currently absent. The present thesis aims to provide an updated starting point for new investigations aimed at further refining on the knowledges of the vertebrate palaeontolology in Sardinia.