Leopoldo J. Pérez Luis

This work analyses the diachronic evolution of dental and postcranial size in Pleistocene dhole (genus Cuon) populations from the Iberian Peninsula. Based on these data we consider two questions: is there a direct relationship between the decrease in tooth size and body size? Or is the process of tooth size evolution related to specific adaptations in feeding behaviours? In this regard, in addition to changes in the dimensions of the teeth, we consider the dental morphology to verify whether they display features related to the development of hypercarnivorous adaptations. Finally, we propose a taxonomic classification of Pleistocene dhole populations in the Iberian Peninsula based on the dental morphometric features of three mandibles from the Mediterranean and Cantabrian regions