Morphological diversity of wild rabbit populations: implications for archaeology and palaeontology

Abstract

Morphometric characteristics of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are regularly used in archaeological and palaeontological studies to explore aspects of prehistoric human hunting behaviour, to reconstruct past environments or to define new species. However, the variability of these characteristics is still both poorly understood and under-documented due to a lack of population-level data that are essential for reliably interpreting the fossil record of this species. Here we address the morphometric diversity of wild rabbits in seven current populations from south-western Europe. Size variations in different skeletal parts were analysed to explore the potential impact of sexual dimorphism. A geometric morphometric analysis of the third lower premolar (p3) – a tooth commonly used to distinguish leporid species – was used to evaluate the relative effects of size, phylogeny, geographical location and climate on shape variation. The results show a negligible impact of sexual dimorphism, contradicting previous studies. We also demonstrate geography and climate to be the main factors driving variation in p3 shape, potentially calling into question criteria typically used to identify rabbit species. These results are valuable not only for palaeobiologists studying the taxonomy and the evolutionary history of the leporid family but also for archaeologists interested in the socio-economic and behavioural aspects of Palaeolithic human groups.

Identifying early stages of reindeer domestication in the archaeological record: a 3D morphological investigation on forelimb bones of modern populations from Fennoscandia

“…In many mammals, the size and shape of skeletal and dental elements can be both influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic factors (Scott 1987 ; Kappelman 1988 ; DeGusta and Vrba 2005 ; Eronen et al 2006 ; Klein et al 2010 ; Polly 2010 ; Meachen et al 2016 ; Ledevin et al 2016 ; Renaud et al 2018 ; Pelletier 2018 , 2019 ; Souquet et al 2019 ). It has been shown that some of these parameters, such as geographic position, topography or marked variations in climate and the environment, could also notably influence the body size and/or morphology of reindeer (Thomas and Everson 1981 ; Collins and Smith 1991 ; Weinstock 1997 , 2002 ; Weladji and Holand 2003 , 2006 ; Weladji et al 2003 ; Reimers et al 2005 ; Mårell et al 2006 ; Magniez 2010 ).…”

Morphological diversity, evolution and biogeography of early Pleistocene rabbits (Genus Oryctolagus)

“…1996; Callou 2003; Davis & Moreno‐García 2007; Pelletier et al . 2015 a , b ; Pelletier 2018, 2019; Davis 2019), the vast majority of palaeontological works is based on the study of shape variations of the third lower premolar (p3). This tooth is widely used to distinguish leporid species and to reveal their phylogenetic relationships (Petter 1959, 1961; Hibbard 1963; López‐Martínez et al .…”

“…2000; De Marfà & Mein 2007; De Marfà 2008, 2009; Angelone & Rook 2012; Angelone 2013; Pelletier et al . 2015 a , b ; Pelletier 2018, 2019). However, the relevance of these dental criteria could be revised in relation to the data acquired on modern individuals.…”

“…2000). Moreover, it has also been demonstrated that latitude, temperature and precipitation (among other environmental parameters) are the main factors that drive the shape variation of p3 in the various modern populations of O. cuniculus (Pelletier 2019). This suggests the existence of a significant polymorphism and would call into question certain criteria that are generally used to identify rabbit species.…”

“…2015 a , b ; Sawaura et al . 2018; Pelletier 2018, 2019), could then enable the quantification of the variability of rabbit populations from the early Pleistocene and the recognition of how these could be related instead to intrinsic or extrinsic factors. Thus, in this work, we use three distinct approaches to characterize the morphological variability of the p3: (1) the description of dental characters; (2) the analysis of linear measurements; and (3) a two‐dimensional (2D) GMM analysis of seven early Pleistocene populations, representing the three species described for this period (i.e.…”