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The Miocene carbonate deposits of Scontrone (Abruzzo, Central Italy) are well known among palaeontologists because of their fossil vertebrate content that exhibits striking similarities to those of the remarkable “Terre Rosse” faunal complex of the Gargano region, defining the existence of the Miocene Central Mediterranean Apulia paleobioprovince. The main goal of this paper is to establish the age and environment of the Scontrone vertebrate bonebeds. The vertebrate remains are embedded in the basal portion of the Lithothamnion Limestone, a widespread carbonate-ramp lithosome representative of the Tortonian-early Messinian transgression over the entire Apulia Platform. The bonebeds belong to marginal-marine deposits (here called “Scontrone calcarenites”) preserved in a small area below transgressive ravinement surfaces. The rapid vertical and lateral facies variations displayed by the “Scontrone …