A Middle Pleistocene wolf from central Italy provides insights on the first occurrence of Canis lupus in Europe

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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific Reports
Main Authors: Dawid A. Iurino, Beniamino Mecozzi, Alessio Iannucci, Alfio Moscarella, Flavia Strani, Fabio Bona, Mario Gaeta, Raffaele Sardella
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2022
Subjects:
Medicine
R
Science
Q
Canis lupus
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-06812-5
https://doaj.org/article/a1b82e4c4c31453d8fe4cf9d0896e945
Description
Summary: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.

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