On the trail of medieval wolves: ancient DNA, CT-based analyses and palaeopathology of a 1000-year-old wolf cranium from the Po Valley (northern Italy)
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On the trail of medieval wolves : ancient DNA, CT-based analyses and palaeopathology of a 1000-year-old wolf cranium from the Po Valley (northern Italy). / Iurino, Dawid A.; Cilli, Elisabetta; Caniglia, Romolo; Fabbri, Elena; Mecozzi, Beniamino; Ciucani, Marta Maria; Sardella, Raffaele; Persico, Davide.
In: Historical Biology, Vol. 35, No. 6, 2023, p. 976-987.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - On the trail of medieval wolves
T2 - ancient DNA, CT-based analyses and palaeopathology of a 1000-year-old wolf cranium from the Po Valley (northern Italy)
AU - Iurino, Dawid A.
AU - Cilli, Elisabetta
AU - Caniglia, Romolo
AU - Fabbri, Elena
AU - Mecozzi, Beniamino
AU - Ciucani, Marta Maria
AU - Sardella, Raffaele
AU - Persico, Davide
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - The Middle Ages represented a crucial period for the evolutionary history of wolves (Canis lupus), marked by both significant ecosystem changes, especially through the degradation of wooded landscapes and heavy persecution, that drove this species to a dramatic demographic decline. In Europe, informative and well-documented wolf remains from the Medieval Ages are exceptionally rare and are mostly represented by teeth and postcranial elements. In this study, we describe a well-preserved wolf cranium dated to ca. 967–1157 AD from the Po Valley (northern Italy). The specimen was analysed through a multidisciplinary approach including CT-based, ancient DNA, and palaeopathological analyses. Morphological and genetic data supported the assignment of this sample to Canis lupus species. CT-based analyses indicated a typical wolf-like morphology falling into the extant variability of the medium-sized subspecies C. lupus italicus, whereas palaeopathological analyses indicated a severe periodontitis. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the Po valley wolf had a unique and never described mtDNA control region haplotype, testifying variability in the ancient Italian wolf, which has now been lost. This study provides the first comprehensive description of a wolf from the Middle Ages, adding useful information for a deeper knowledge about population dynamics, variability, and diseases of this species.
AB - The Middle Ages represented a crucial period for the evolutionary history of wolves (Canis lupus), marked by both significant ecosystem changes, especially through the degradation of wooded landscapes and heavy persecution, that drove this species to a dramatic demographic decline. In Europe, informative and well-documented wolf remains from the Medieval Ages are exceptionally rare and are mostly represented by teeth and postcranial elements. In this study, we describe a well-preserved wolf cranium dated to ca. 967–1157 AD from the Po Valley (northern Italy). The specimen was analysed through a multidisciplinary approach including CT-based, ancient DNA, and palaeopathological analyses. Morphological and genetic data supported the assignment of this sample to Canis lupus species. CT-based analyses indicated a typical wolf-like morphology falling into the extant variability of the medium-sized subspecies C. lupus italicus, whereas palaeopathological analyses indicated a severe periodontitis. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the Po valley wolf had a unique and never described mtDNA control region haplotype, testifying variability in the ancient Italian wolf, which has now been lost. This study provides the first comprehensive description of a wolf from the Middle Ages, adding useful information for a deeper knowledge about population dynamics, variability, and diseases of this species.
KW - aDNA
KW - Canis lupus
KW - genetics
KW - medieval period
KW - morphology
KW - palaeopathology
U2 - 10.1080/08912963.2022.2071710
DO - 10.1080/08912963.2022.2071710
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85130232300
VL - 35
SP - 976
EP - 987
JO - Historical Biology
JF - Historical Biology
SN - 0891-2963
IS - 6
ER -
ID: 307732194