Sardinian dhole


The Sardinian dhole, also known as the Sardinian fox, is an extinct insular canid which was endemic to what is now the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Corsica, which were joined for much of the Pleistocene. It went extinct when humans began to settle on the island. Its scientific name means "dog-beast of Sardinia".
When the ancestor of this canid, a species of the wolf-sized Xenocyon lycaonoides, 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 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.
Despite its common name, Cynotherium sardous is not always listed as a relative of the modern dhole. Recent studies consider the Sardinian dhole a part of the tribe Canini and a relative of the genus Lycaon, which includes the African wild dog and the extinct Lycaon sekowei. As mentioned earlier, some species of Xenocyon are thought to be the ancestor of Cynotherium. Another hypothesis posits that the Sardinian dhole is derived from a late population of Canis arnensis. An origin from Xenocyon is supported by Cynotherium malaestai, a species described in 2015 from the Middle Pleistocene of Sardinia, intermediate in morphology between Xenocyon lycaonoides and Cynotherium sardous.