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

Iurino, Dawid A.; Mecozzi, Beniamino; Iannucci, Alessio; Moscarella, Alfio; Strani, Flavia; Bona, Fabio; Gaeta, Mario; Sardella, Raffaele

doi:10.1038/s41598-022-06812-5

Cited by 12 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…FUs are further grouped into higher ranking biochronological units, Land Mammal Ages (LMAs) (see Palombo and Sardella [36] for further discussion). We noticed that in recent years, probably since the last ten years or so, there has been a tendency to refer to them as European Land Mammal Ages (ELMAs), to which we also adhered, for consistency and stability, in recent studies (e.g., [68,[70][71][72][73][74]). This approach is not harmful and probably manifests the necessity for the scientific community of a cohesive terminology both in time (e.g., for the Neogene and the Quaternary) and between different geographic areas (i.e., similar for Europe, Asia, etc.).…”

Section: Quaternary Large Mammal Biochronologymentioning

confidence: 84%

What Does the “Elephant-Equus” Event Mean Today? Reflections on Mammal Dispersal Events around the Pliocene-Pleistocene Boundary and the Flexible Ambiguity of Biochronology

Iannucci

Sardella

2023

Quaternary

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The dispersal of primitive elephantines and monodactyl equids in Eurasia has long been regarded as representative of a substantial turnover in mammal faunas, denoting the spread of open environments linked to the onset of cold and dry conditions in the Northern Hemisphere. During the 1980s, this event was named the “Elephant-Equus event” and it was correlated with the Gauss-Matuyama reversal, today corresponding to the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition and the beginning of the Quaternary, dated at ~2.6 Ma. Therefore, the Elephant-Equus event became a concept of prominent biochronological and paleoecological significance, especially in western Europe. Yet, uncertainties surrounding the taxonomy and chronology of early “elephant” and “Equus”, as well as conceptual differences in adopting (or understanding) the Elephant-Equus event as an intercontinental dispersal event or as a stratigraphic datum, engendered ambiguity and debate. Here, we provide a succinct review of the Elephant-Equus event, considering separately the available evidence on the “elephant” and the “Equus”. Elephantines dispersed out of Africa during the Pliocene (Piacenzian). Their earliest calibrated occurrences from eastern Europe date at ~3.2 Ma and they are usually referred to Mammuthus rumanus, although the allocation of several samples to this species is tentative. Available dating constraints for other localities do not resolve whether the dispersal of Mammuthus was synchronous across Eurasia, but this possibility cannot be ruled out. The spread of Mammuthus was part of an intercontinental faunal exchange between Africa and Eurasia that occurred during the Piacenzian, but in this scenario, Mammuthus is quite unique in being the only genus of African origin dispersing to western Eurasia. The arrival of monodactyl equids from North America coincides with the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition, with several occurrences dated or calibrated at ~2.6 Ma and no compelling evidence prior to this age. In Europe, early monodactyl equids are often aligned to Equus livenzovensis, but the material from the type locality of this species is chronologically time-averaged and taxonomically heterogeneous, and western European samples are seldom abundant or informative. Regardless, this does not diminish the biochronological significance of the “Equus event”. Indeed, while the term “Elephant-Equus event” should no longer be used, as the appearance of elephantines in the European fossil record markedly precedes that of monodactyl equids, we endorse the use of the “Equus event” as a valid alternative to refer to the intercontinental dispersal event that characterizes the middle Villafranchian faunal turnover, epitomized by but not limited to monodactyl equids.

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Section: Quaternary Large Mammal Biochronologymentioning

confidence: 84%

What Does the “Elephant-Equus” Event Mean Today? Reflections on Mammal Dispersal Events around the Pliocene-Pleistocene Boundary and the Flexible Ambiguity of Biochronology

Iannucci

Sardella

2023

Quaternary

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“…mosbachensis and once as C . lupus [ 154 , 165 , 181 , 182 , 186 , 188 , 206 , 207 , 208 ]. Some authors favoured the hypothesis that it was the replacement rather than the evolution in situ, especially when considering the large turnover recorded during and after the MIS 12 [ 205 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

History of Polish Canidae (Carnivora, Mammalia) and Their Biochronological Implications on the Eurasian Background

Marciszak

Kropczyk

Gornig

et al. 2023

Genes

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The remains of 12 canid species that date back ca. 4.9 myr have been found at 116 paleontological localities. Among these localities, eight are dated to the Pliocene age, 12 are dated to the Early Pleistocene age, 12 are from the Middle Pleistocene age, while the most numerous group includes 84 sites from the Late Pleistocene–Holocene age. Some, especially older forms such as Eucyon odessanus and Nyctereutes donnezani, have only been found at single sites, while the remains of species from the genus Lycaon, Canis and Vulpes have been recorded at numerous sites from the last 2 myr. Ancient canids such as Eucyon and Nyctereutes had already vanished from Poland in the Earliest Pleistocene, between 2.5 and 2.2 myr ago. Poland’s extant canid fauna is characterised by the presence of two new species, which spread into the territory due to a human introduction (Nyctereutes procyonoides) or natural expansion (Canis aureus). Research indicates a strong competition between dogs, especially between Lycaon, Canis and Cuon, with a strong lycaon-limiting effect on the wolf between 2.5 and 0.4 myr ago. After the extinction of Lycaon lycaonoides, Canis lupus evolved rapidly, increasing in number and size, and taking over the niche occupied by Lycaon. In order to reduce competition, the body size of Cuon alpinus gradually reduced, and it became an animal adapted to the forest, highland and mountain environments. Generally, the history of canids in Poland is similar to that known of Eurasia with some noteworthy events, such as the early occurrence of Canis cf. etruscus from Węże 2 (2.9–2.6 myr ago), Lycaon falconeri from Rębielice Królewskie 1A or one of the latest occurrences of L. lycaonoides from Draby 3 (430–370 kyr). Predominantly lowland or upland in the southern part and devoid of significant ecological barriers, Poland is also an important migration corridor in the East–West system. This 500–600 km wide corridor was the Asian gateway to Europe, from where species of an eastern origin penetrated the continent’s interior. In colder periods, it was in turn a region through which boreal species or those associated with the mammoth steppe retreated.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…M1185 was missing a part of the right zygomatic arch; therefore, the volume of the left half of the skull was doubled. Similarly, M25794 and KPM-NF 2014 had a damaged tympanic cavity, the volume of the skull was calculated by doubling the intact side [25,40], and for the broken tympanic cavity, the same value of the intact cavity was used (Table 4). M26696 and M25796 were omitted from the analysis of the volume ratio of each cavity to the skull volume because of breakage of the occipital part across both sides.…”

Section: Measurement Of Volumementioning

confidence: 99%

Quantitative analysis of the skull in the Japanese wolf (<i>Canis lupus hodophilax</i>) using CT

SUZUKI,

SASAKI,

TSUZUKI

et al. 2024

The Journal of Veterinary Medical Science

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In this study using computed tomography (CT), the volumes of the internal cranial cavities, such as the braincase, frontal sinus and tympanic cavity, and the ratio of the volume of each cavity to the skull volume in Japanese wolves were quantified, and CT images of the frontal sinus were observed. The results were then compared with those of other wolf subspecies, including Akita, a dog breed, to clarify the characteristics of the internal cranial cavities in Japanese wolves. The present study revealed that the Japanese wolf had a relatively larger braincase volume and a relatively smaller frontal sinus volume than the wolf ssp. (a group of wild wolf subspecies except the Japanese wolf) and Akita. Moreover, the relative and absolute tympanic cavity volumes of the Japanese wolf and Akita were significantly smaller than those of the wolf ssp. In the CT image or macroscopic observations, the frontal sinuses of the wolf ssp. and Akita were relatively well developed to the caudal and dorsal directions, respectively, compared with that of the Japanese wolf, and the tympanic cavity of the wolf ssp. was more largely swelled ventrally and medially than that of other groups.

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

Cited by 12 publications

References 45 publications

What Does the “Elephant-Equus” Event Mean Today? Reflections on Mammal Dispersal Events around the Pliocene-Pleistocene Boundary and the Flexible Ambiguity of Biochronology

What Does the “Elephant-Equus” Event Mean Today? Reflections on Mammal Dispersal Events around the Pliocene-Pleistocene Boundary and the Flexible Ambiguity of Biochronology

History of Polish Canidae (Carnivora, Mammalia) and Their Biochronological Implications on the Eurasian Background

Quantitative analysis of the skull in the Japanese wolf (<i>Canis lupus hodophilax</i>) using CT

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