Presence of the genus Cuon in upper Pleistocene and initial Holocene sites of the Iberian Peninsula: new remains identified in archaeological contexts of the Mediterranean region

• Published in: Journal of archaeological science Vol. 37; no. 3; pp. 437 - 450
• Main Authors: Ripoll, Manuel Pérez, Morales Pérez, Juan V., Sanchis Serra, Alfred, Aura Tortosa, J. Emili, Montañana, Inocencio Sarrión
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-03-2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Canidae; Cuon; Environmental studies; Europe; Fauna; Generalities; Methodology and general studies; Morphology; Osteometry; Prehistory and protohistory; South West Europe; Taphonomy; Taxonomy; Mediterranean; Iberian Peninsula; Cuon; Canidae; Taxonomy; Morphology; Osteometry; Taphonomy; Animal bone; Late Pleistocene; Canid; Identification; Taxinomy; Holocene
• ISSN: 0305-4403; 1095-9238
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2009.10.008

The dhole (
Cuon alpinus) has been documented on the Iberian Peninsula throughout the Middle and Upper Pleistocene in archaeological and palaeontological contexts. However, this is an uncommon species among the Iberian quaternary faunae as a whole. This paper focuses on the remains of the genus
Cuon recovered in three different sites of the Iberian Mediterranean region and their morphological and osteometrical study. By comparing these with fourteen complete skeletons of
Canis lupus, as well as with other remains of
C. alpinus, we intend to highlight some anatomical and metrical differences between
Cuon and
Canis that, added to those already published, could be a functional base-line for the identification of this genus. The identification of this species is complex, especially in archaeological contexts, and in some cases the dhole has been identified as
Canis or Canidae. Furthermore, this paper explores the chronology of the presence of the dhole in the Iberian Peninsula and the different contexts where these animals have been recovered from.