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Past and present distribution of the genus Capra in Greece

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Abstract

The Alpine ibex Capra ibex and the wild goat Capra aegagrus are the only caprids known to have existed in the Balkan Peninsula. The agrimi is a feral primitive form of the domestic goat Capra hircus but may constitute an island subspecies of C. aegagrus endemic to Crete, Greece. Here, the distribution of C. ibex and C. aegagrus in this southernmost Balkan country was reviewed for the period from Middle Pleistocene until today through a scientific and historical document search. Such knowledge should provide directions to future conservation plans for these species and aid in tracing the origins of agrimi. Fossil locations indicate that both species lived in this country at elevations of similar altitude (≥10– ≤ 2,497 m a.s.l.). C. ibex colonised Greece naturally, perhaps, not earlier than 126,000 years ago. It was spread over most of the mainland (36–41° N and 20–24° E) where from it disappeared after 5600 BC due to hunting. C. aegagrus constituted an exotic in Europe. Man introduced it to insular and mainland Greece (between 35–40° N and 19–26° E) from around 8600 and 7000 BC, respectively. It went extinct on the mainland probably before 6000 BC. Only C. ibex should, therefore, be restored to its former Balkan ranges. This review provides further support for the wild origin hypothesis for agrimi.

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Notes

  1. C. aegagrus bones differ from those of its domestic descendant C. hircus in relative (higher sexual dimorphism) and/or absolute size (C. aegagrus is larger) and in morphology (e.g. in horn cores; Harris 1996; Zohary et al. 1998)

  2. A transitional phase between ‘wild’ and ‘domestic’ natures is recognised by scientists (e.g., Clutton-Brock 1999)

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Marco Festa-Bianchet, Université de Sherbrooke, Canada [IUCN/CSG SSC (Chair)], and Matthew W. Hayward, Australian Wildlife Conservancy, for their suggestions and constructive criticism of a previous version of the manuscript. I also thank Christopher Goldspink, MMU, UK, and David Mallon, MMU, UK (IUCN/CSG SSC), for their useful discussions and comments on an early draft of it. I am grateful to Evangelos Eleftherakis for improving the English.

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  1. School of Science and The Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, John Dalton Building, Chester Street, Manchester, M1 5GD, UK

    Alkiviadis Geskos

  2. 38 Lasithiou, PC 71201, Heraklion, Crete, Greece

    Alkiviadis Geskos

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Geskos, A. Past and present distribution of the genus Capra in Greece. Acta Theriol 58, 1–11 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-012-0094-9

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