Here, we describe a partial cranium of a large canid dated at 406.5 ± 2.4 ka from the Middle Pleistocene of Ponte Galeria (Rome, Italy). The sample represents one of the few Middle Pleistocene remains of a wolf-like canid falling within the timeframe when the Canis mosbachensis-Canis lupus transition occurred, a key moment to understand the spread of the extant wolf (Canis lupus) in Europe. CT-based methods allow studying the outer and inner cranial anatomy (brain and frontal sinuses) of a selected sample of fossil and extant canids. Morphological and biometric results allowed to: (I) ascribe the cranium from Ponte Galeria to an adult Canis lupus, representing the first reliable occurrence of this taxon in Europe; (II) provide the content for a biochronological revision of the Middle Pleistocene record of European wolves.
A Middle Pleistocene wolf from central Italy provides insights on the first occurrence of Canis lupus in Europe / D.A. Iurino, B. Mecozzi, A. Iannucci, A. Moscarella, F. Strani, F. Bona, M. Gaeta, R. Sardella. - In: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. - ISSN 2045-2322. - 12:1(2022 Dec), pp. 2882.1-2882.13. [Epub ahead of print] [10.1038/s41598-022-06812-5]
A Middle Pleistocene wolf from central Italy provides insights on the first occurrence of Canis lupus in Europe
D.A. Iurino
;F. Bona;
2022
Abstract
Here, we describe a partial cranium of a large canid dated at 406.5 ± 2.4 ka from the Middle Pleistocene of Ponte Galeria (Rome, Italy). The sample represents one of the few Middle Pleistocene remains of a wolf-like canid falling within the timeframe when the Canis mosbachensis-Canis lupus transition occurred, a key moment to understand the spread of the extant wolf (Canis lupus) in Europe. CT-based methods allow studying the outer and inner cranial anatomy (brain and frontal sinuses) of a selected sample of fossil and extant canids. Morphological and biometric results allowed to: (I) ascribe the cranium from Ponte Galeria to an adult Canis lupus, representing the first reliable occurrence of this taxon in Europe; (II) provide the content for a biochronological revision of the Middle Pleistocene record of European wolves.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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2022 - Iurino et al. - A Middle Pleistocene wolf from central Italy provides insights on the frst occurrence of Canis lupus in Europe.pdf
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