Restos postcraneales de cuon en el Pleistoceno superior (MIS 3) de la Cova de les Malladetes (Barx, Valencia)

Abstract

The presence of the genus Cuon (dhole) in Pleistocene deposits of the Iberian peninsula has been determined mainly from cranial and dental remains, where the differences with respect to Canis are more evident. However, there is very little information on the post-cranial skeleton of these canids. In this paper, we present the morphological and metric analysis of ten post-cranial dhole bones found in one Upper Pleistocene level (MIS 3) of Cova de les Malladetes. The determination of the remains has been carried out thanks to the application of a comparative morphological database, based on current wolf and dhole remains, together with the references on published fossil materials. The new identification of post-cranial dhole material allows us to better characterize the Pleistocene populations of these canids in the Iberian Peninsula. The taphonomical study reaffirm the existence of interaction processes between dholes and humans.