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Major research
projects, to which I participated, include:
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2009
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New excavations at Sésklo
The Villafranchian (MNQ17) locality of Sésklo (Thessaly, Greece) has yielded a diverse fossil mammal fauna during
the last thirty years. The available material suffers, however, from the
lack of precise stratigraphic documentation. A newly discovered assemblage
near the top of the Sésklo basin sequence was excavated during two
expeditions in 2009. The recovered specimens are expected to contribute
to the knowledge of the Villafranchian mammal anatomy and evolution and
to give a better picture of basin biostratigraphy.
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2008-2010
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New excavations at the
classical Pikermi locality
The project included a survey along the Megálo
Réma stream, where the classical fossiliferous layers of Pikermi
outcrop. A new site (dubbed PV1) was discovered and is being excavated
starting from June 2009. The newly excavated material (currently under
preparation) mainly includes two species of hipparions, a rhino,
antelopes, giraffids, a hyaenid and a felid.
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2004-2006
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The Haliakmon Palaeolithic
Survey
A three-year survey along the Haliakmon River valley, Northern Greece, in search of palaeolithic and palaeanthropological
finds. The Haliakmon Valley is considered as a possible palaeolithic human
dispersal route, as Northern
Greece lies in one
of the possible routes used of palaeolithic Homo to colonise Europe.
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1995-2006
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The Miocene mammals of
Kerassiá
The late Miocene (Tourolian) fauna of Kerassiá (Northern Euboea, central Greece) is very diverse, comprising carnivores (Felidae,
Hyaenidae), perissodactyls (Chalicotheriidae, Rhinocerotidae, Equidae),
artiodactyls (Tragulidae, Suidae, Giraffidae, Bovidae), proboscideans (Deinotherium,
gomphotheres), Orycteropus and birds. Seven sites, grouped in two
stratigraphic levels, have been excavated until today. Particularly
interesting are the rhinos (represented by three species) and the
giraffes (four species).
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1991-1999
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Excavations on Tilos Island
Tilos is a small island of SE Greece. One of its caves, named Charkadió, has
yielded rich fossil material of endemic dwarf elephants and dwarf deer.
The dwarf elephants (close relatives of the middle-late Pleistocene
continental species Elephas antiquus) were less than 1,8 m high
and survived into Holocene.
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1989-1994
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Excavations in Vraona Cave
The Vraona Cave, Attica, Greece, yielded a vertebrate fossil fauna aged close to
the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary. The fauna is dominated by felids
(mainly Panthera pardus), but canids, mustelids, ursids, equids,
bovids, cervids, micromammals, reptiles and birds are present as well.
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