Sardinian dhole

The Sardinian dhole (Cynotherium sardous) is an extinct insular canid[1] which was endemic to what is now the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia (Italy) and Corsica (France), which were joined for much of the Pleistocene. It went extinct when humans began to settle on the island.[2] Its scientific name means "dog-beast of Sardinia", the genus name from the Ancient Greek: θήρ, romanized: thḗr, lit. 'beast', 'wild animal' and κύων, kyōn, 'dog' and the specific name from the Latin: Sardous, lit. 'of Sardinia', alt. form of Latin: Sardus.

Life restoration

Sardinian dhole
Temporal range: Middle Pleistocene – 11,300 years BP[1]
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Subfamily: Caninae
Tribe: Canini
Genus: †Cynotherium
Species:
†C. sardous
Binomial name
†Cynotherium sardous
Studiati, 1857
Former range (in red)

The oldest fossils of the Cynotherium lineage on Sardinia, belonging to the species Cynotherium malatestai (likely ancestral to C. sardous) date to the Early-Middle Pleistocene transition, corresponding to faunal turnover between the older Nesogoral Faunal Complex and the younger Microtus (Tyrrhenicola) faunal complex.[3] The genomic analysis of a 21,000 year-old Sardinian dhole specimen indicates that the Sardinian dhole lineage and the Asian dhole lineage diverged from each other 885,000 years ago. Gene flow continued between the two lineages until between 500,000 and 300,000 years ago. The analysis showed low genomic diversity which may have led to the extinction of this dhole.[4]

When the ancestor of this canid became confined to the island, its diet became limited to small and fast prey, such as rodents and rabbits. This lack of large prey caused the Sardinian dhole to evolve into a small sized (perhaps 10 kg or 22 lb) canid. This view of Cynotherium as a predator specializing in small, fast prey is supported by an examination of the animal's anatomy. The evolution of short, powerful limbs, a low neck carriage and increased head and neck mobility suggests an animal well suited for stalking and then quickly pouncing on or running down small prey.[1][5]

See also

References
  1. Lyras G.A.; Van der Geer A.E.; Dermitzakis M.; De Vos J. (2006). "Cynotherium sardous, an insular canid (Mammalia: Carnivora) from the Pleistocene of Sardinia (Italy), and its origin". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 26 (3): 735–745. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2006)26[735:CSAICM]2.0.CO;2. S2CID 84448363.
  2. Gippoliti, Spartaco & Amori, Giovanni (2006). "Ancient introductions of mammals in the Mediterranean Basin and their implications for conservation". Mammal Review. 36 (1): 37–48. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2907.2006.00081.x.
  3. Palombo, Maria Rita (January 2018). "Insular mammalian fauna dynamics and paleogeography: A lesson from the Western Mediterranean islands". Integrative Zoology. 13 (1): 2–20. doi:10.1111/1749-4877.12275. ISSN 1749-4877. PMC 5817236. PMID 28688123.
  4. Ciucani, Marta Maria; Jensen, Julie Kragmose; Sinding, Mikkel-Holger S.; Smith, Oliver; Lucenti, Saverio Bartolini; Rosengren, Erika; Rook, Lorenzo; Tuveri, Caterinella; Arca, Marisa; Cappellini, Enrico; Galaverni, Marco; Randi, Ettore; Guo, Chunxue; Zhang, Guojie; Sicheritz-Pontén, Thomas; Dalén, Love; Gilbert, M. Thomas P.; Gopalakrishnan, Shyam (2021). "Evolutionary history of the extinct Sardinian dhole". Current Biology. 31 (24): 5571–5579.e6. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2021.09.059. PMID 34655517. S2CID 238996621.
  5. Lyras G.; Van der Geer A. (2006). "Adaptations of the Pleistocene island canid Cynotherium sardous (Sardinia, Italy) for hunting small prey". Cranium. 23 (1): 51–60. PDF copy
  • ISPRA Photo of Cynotherium sardous


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