Degree in Geological Sciences in 1992, PhD in Paleontology in 1995, currently Associate Professor in Paleontology at the Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences at the University of Bologna (Italy).
Member of the Board of Teachers of the Doctoral School in Paleontology (Modena University, Italy) in 2005 (XXI cycle, last cycle of this Doctorate, end of the work of the Board in 2007).
Member of the Board of Teachers of the Doctoral School in Earth, Life and Environmental Sciences (University of Bologna) from 2013 to 2017 (from the XXIX to the XXXII cycle).
Consultant for the Geological Survey of Regione Emilia-Romagna and scientific collaborations from 1995 to 2009 for micropaleontological and biostratigraphical studies supporting the execution of the Geological Map of Italy (CARG project).
Teaching activity at the University of Bologna
1) Course of Micropaleontological applications to the stratigraphy and paleoclimatology, from academic year 2020/21
2) Course of Paleontology from 2016 to 2020
3) Course of Paleoecology and Paleoclimatology from 2005 to 2016
4) Teaching module in the course of Paleontology (Laboratory), academic years 2012/13 and 2013/14 and from 2020/2021
5) Teaching module in the course of Stratigraphic Paleontology and Paleoenvironmental Reconstructions, academic years 2011/12 and 2013/14
6) Teaching module in the course of Paleontology (degree in Natural Science), academic years 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16
7) Collaboration in teaching activity for the course of Paleontology from 2005.
The research activity is focused on the application of micropaleontology, and specifically of the foraminiferal assemblages, in multidisciplinary geological studies. Within this framework, the research has been developed within research groups or with the cooperation of specialists in various fields of Earth Science, such as sedimentologists, field geologists, geochemists (including isotope geochemists), geophysics and mineralogists. Selected studies were developed with the cooperation of specialists in other fossil groups, such as ostracoda, nannofossils, paleobotany (palinology and carphology), mollusca and marine mammals. The research is almost entirely based on studies of Neogene and Quaternary successions of the Mediterranean area.
Main results of scientific activity
1) Late Quaternary evolution of the Po Delta and of the Po River coastal plain. This research, developed in cooperation with many specialists, was based upon the micropaleontological analyses of more than 50 boreholes, mainly drilled for the Geologcal Mapping Project of Italy. In more than 15 years of studies, a detailed stratigraphic architecture and paleoenvronmental evolution of the subsurface successions has been defined - combining mainly paleontological and sedimentological data and thus showing a major control of glacio-eustatic variations, with minor contributions of local and autogenic processes. Geochemical analyses also show remarkable variations in sediment provenance by river discharge in deltaic areas substantially releted with the paleoenvironmental evolution highlighted by fossil assemblages.
2) Late Quaternary paleoenvironmental evolution of selected alluvial and coastal plains of Central Italy (Tuscany and Marche areas). The investigated areas include the Arno valley and the Piombino and Tronto alluvial plains. These studies were carried out with methods and aims comparable to those used in the Po Delta, although with a lower number of boreholes and analyses.
Sedimentological and paleontological (including palynological) analyses provided the basis for the paleoenvironmental reconstruction and these are locally integrated by geochemical data for sediment provenance. As for the Po Delta, glacio-eustatic variations exerted the main control on the paleoenvironments, however the different geological setting produced peculiar paleoenvironmental evolutions, for instance the Arno valley includes thick incised-valley fills with estuarine sediments in costal areas and expanded lagoon successions inland.
3) Late Holocene turbidite successions of the Ionian Sea and relationships with seismic and tsunami events. The Ionian Sea is one of the most seismically active region in the Mediterranean and includes dominant turbidite deposits in the deep basins, mainly represented by earthquake-triggered mass flows. The scientific collaboration with selected Earth Science specialists allowed the recognition of a cyclic stacking pattern of sedimentary units within each turbidite, by the comparison of sedimentological, micropaleontological, geochemical and mineralogical data. These units are also commonly produced by multiple mass-flows, moreover peculiar sedimentological structures and microfossil assemblages suggest that the upper part of some turbidites has been deposited in response to seiching of the confined water mass that appears to be generated by earthquake ruptures combined with tsunami waves. The detailed study of the most famous of these seismo-turbidites: the "Homogenite" or "Augias" Turbidite from cores collected in an area of more than 150.000 km2 allowed the recognition of the transition between the turbidite tail and in situ pelagic sediments, with peculiar microfossil assemblages. Based mainly on the radiocarbon ages of these assemblages, the turbidite deposition is consistent with the A.D. 365 Crete earthquake/tsunami, unlike previous interpretations that relate this turbidite to the Santorini caldera collapse.
4) Micropaleontological studies supporting the execution of the Geological Map of Italy (CARG project). These researches, carried out in more than 10 years with the collaboration of field geologists, stratigraphers and other paleontologists, are based upon the micropaleontological analyses of hundreds of samples from outcrop and cored successions for paleoenvironmental reconstructions and biostratigraphy. This research led to the realization of 13 sheets of the Geological Map of Italy at 1:50.000 scale (CARG project) regarding geological sheets, supplementary geological sheets and the illustrative notes. The published sheets cover both the Po Plain and the Northern Apennines areas, from Reggio Emilia to Ferrara and Rimini.
5) Strontium isotope stratigraphy and boron isotopes and relationships with fossil assemblages. These studies were carried out mainly with isotope geochemistries in order to:
i) apply the Sr isotope stratigraphy as a chronostratigraphic tool and the relationships with biostratigraphic events in reference Mediterranean sections, such as the Calabrian stratotipe at Vrica and the DSDP Site 132 (Tyrrhenian Sea)
ii) evaluate the influence of freshwater dilution, defined by microfossil assemblages, on the isotope ratios of Sr and B in biogenic carbonates of paralic and deltaic paleoenvironments.
6) Foraminiferal biostratigraphy and paleoenvironments within sediments associated to fossil remains of marine mammals (from museum's collections) or from successions where these vertebrates were collected. These micropaleontological studies were included in taxonomic and phylogenetic researches of selected species of marine mammals carried out by specialists of these fossils. Foraminiferal data provided a bio and chronostratigraphic framework of the analyzed mammals, suitable to researches on their evolutionary trends. The comparison of the living paleoenvironment of the analyzed mammals with the paleoenvironmental reconstruction - based on the foraminiferal assemblages in sediments associated with the vertebrate remains - locally highlighted a post mortem transport of these remains.
7) Revision of lithostratigraphic units. This research, developed in collaboration with sedimentologists and stratigraphers, are based on the biostratigraphic, sequence-stratigraphic, sedimentological and paleoenvironmental analyses of selected lithostratigraphic units, allowing a detailed characterization - and in certain cases - a revision of the hierarchic order or a redefinition of the units. The revised lithostratigraphic units are the Pantano, Cigarello and Sabbie di Imola Formations outcropping in the Northern Apennines. Moreover the hierarchic order of the Bismatova Formation was changed and raised to Group.
