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The species Carodnia feruglioi and ‘Ctalecarodnia cabrerai' (Xenungulata) were originally described on scarce fragments of teeth from the current Penas Coloradas Formation at Bajo Palangana (Chubut Province, Argentina). Based on them, the ‘Carodnia horizon’ was named containing one of the oldest native ungulates from South America. However, the type material of these enigmatic xenungulates has remained unknown for more than 80 years, and no updates were performed since their original descriptions. Here, the identification and re-study of the type material, as well as other unpublished specimens from several collections, allowed us to reconstruct part of the dentition of Carodnia feruglioi, describe previously-unknown teeth (e.g., incisors, lower canine, first and second lower molars, and upper molars) and introduce new dental characters for this species. Using length and width ratios of lower dentition (fourth lower premolar, second and third lower molars) as proxies, we compared the metric disparity among the Carodnia species. Based on this study, we provide an emended diagnosis for both the genus and species Carodnia feruglioi and establish comparisons among the six xenungulate documented.

The faunal assemblage of Monteviale (Vicenza, northern Italy) represents a rare condition among the earliest Oligocene assemblages of south-eastern Europe at the ‘Grande-Coupure’. The lignitic fossiliferous strata lie above explosive basaltic breccias produced by a volcanic complex raised within a lagoon where the Calcareniti di Castelgomberto Formation (earliest Oligocene in age) was deposited. Systematic revision of the vertebrate remains from Monteviale reveals the presence of 15 taxa belonging to ?Butidae, Palaeobatrachidae, Trionychidae, Geoemydidae, Diplocynodontinae, Dugongidae, ?Pantolesta, Chiroptera, Rhinocerotidae, Anthracotheriidae and Palaeochoeridae. The fossiliferous deposit of Monteviale probably originated in a coastal lagoon characterized by salinity fluctuations, from brackish to fresh water, the latter evidenced by the presence of palaeobatrachid larvae. The terrestrial vertebrate assemblage indicates a humid forest environment with an age close to the Eocene–Oligocene boundary, lowerm...

Pyrite decay is arguably the major problem in geological and palaeontological conservation, as it can cause total destruction in valuable specimens. Various methods have been devised since the 19th century to treat and prevent it with different degrees of success. Nevertheless, the conservation of large fossils at risk of pyrite decay remains an unsolved issue, because a feasible method for maintaining them in a controlled microclimate that is suitable for specimens on public display has remained elusive. This paper describes the study carried out to investigate the alterations that developed in a large fossil palm of the collection of the Museum of Geology and Palaeontology in Padova (Italy), already treated for pyrite decay several years before. Results of X-ray powder diffraction and Raman spectroscopy performed on samples collected from that fossil palm confirmed that the alterations were due to pyrite decay. The microclimate indoors (inside showcases and in the Hall itself) and outdoors was monitored for one year to investigate its possible relation with the damage observed. The measured thermo-hygrometric conditions exceeded the recommended thresholds for the prevention of pyrite oxidation and indicated the fossils were at high risk of damage from that process. This study demonstrates that treatment alone is not sufficient for the conservation of fossils at risk of pyrite decay and that it can be ineffective without a proper management of the microclimatic conditions under which the fossils are preserved.