FIRST RECORD OF THE CHITINOPHOSPHATIC BRACHIOPOD GLOTTIDIA FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN BASIN, WITH SOME NOTES ON THE NEOGENE PALAEOBIOGEOGRAPHY OF LINGULIDES

New remains of lingulide brachiopods have been discovered in Pliocene outcrops of Tuscany (central Italy). Some relatively well preserved specimens are here reported from Castelfiorentino and Spicchio (both in Florence Province). At both localities, the exposed marine successions are characterised by alternation of greyish clayey sandstones and yellowish sandstones. The Spicchio lingulides have been found within grayish clayey sandstone besides abundant specimens of Pelecyora, Callista, Procardium and Thetystrombus (=Persististrombus). The Castelfiorentino lingulides come from a yellowish sand division that is typically rich in very well preserved crabs (Eriphia cocchii) and common shells of Glycymeris, Pelecyora, gastropods and barnacles. The septate nature of these new lingulide finds suggests to attribute the collected material to Glottidia rather than to Lingula. The presence of Glottidia-like specimens in the Tuscan Pliocene represents an entirely new occurrence datum for Italy as well as for the entire Mediterranean region. These lingulide fossils sum themselves to other recently described finds of Lingula from the nearby locality of La Serra (Pisa Province). Whereas Lingula is present in some Miocene brachiopod assemblages of the Mediterranean Sea and the connected Central Paratethys, the sole published records of the currently trans-Panamian genus Glottidia are from the Miocene and Pliocene deposits of the North Sea. Therefore, discovering that both Lingula and Glottidia occurred in closely locations of the central Mediterranean Basin during the Pliocene comes as a surprise that also stimulates to reconsider the palaeobiogeographic history and affinities of the late Neogene Euro-Mediterranean lingulides.