Skip to main content
Log in

Remarks on the skull morphology of the endangered Ethiopian jackal, Canis simensis Rappel 1838

Note sulla morfologia craniale dello sciacallo etiopico in pencolo di estinzione, Canis simensis Ruppel 1838

  • Published:
Rendiconti Lincei Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The study of a skull ofCanis simensis Rüppel 1838, an endangered species endemic to the Ethiopian highlands, belonging to the old collections of the Museo Zoologico «La Specola» of the University of Florence, gave us the starting stimulus for this research. The results of morphological and biomethrical analyses carried out on a sample of 13 skulls of this rare and little known species are reported here. Although characterized by peculiar features, Canis simensis is closely related with jackals.

Riassunto

Lo studio di un cranio diCanis simensis Rüppel 1838, una specie cndemica degli altipiani etiopici, appartenente alle vecchie collezioni del Museo Zoologico «La Specola» ha fornito lo spunto per questa ricerca. Vengono qui riportati i risultati dt uno studio morfologico e biometrico su un campione di 13 cranii di questa specie rara e poco conosciuta. Sebbene presenti caratteristiche peculiari.Canis simensis risulta in stretta relazione con gli sciacalli.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allen G. M., 1939.A checklist of African mammals. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard, 83: 1–736.

    Google Scholar 

  • Azzakoli Puccetti M. L., 1987.The systematic relationships of hares (genus Lepus) of the Horn of Africa. Cimbebasia, ser. A, 9: 1–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Azzaroli Puccetti M. L., Corti M., Scanzani A., Civitelli M. V., Capanna E., 1996.The caryotypes of two endemic species of hare from Ethiopia, Lepus habissinicus Henprich & Ehrenberg (1832) and Lepus starckiPetter (1963), with a comparison with Lepus europaeusPallas (1778). Mammalia, in press.

  • Berta A., 1988.Quaternary evolution and biogeography of the larger South American Canidae (Mammalia, Carnivora). Univ. California Publ. Geol. Sci., Berkeley, 132: 1–149.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glutton-Brock J., Corbet G. B., Hills M., 1976.A review of the family Canidae with a classification by numerical methods. Bull. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), zool., 29: 117–199.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Beaux O., 1922.Mammiferi abissini e somali. Atti Soc. Ital. Sci. Nat., 61: 21–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ewer R. F., 1956.The fossil carnivores of the Transvaal caves: Canidae. Proc. zool Soc. London, 126: 97–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Flynn J. L., Tedford R. H., Qiu Z., 1991.Enrichment and stability in the Pliocene mammal faunas of North China. Paleobiology, 17: 246–265.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goitelli D., Sillero-Zubiri C., 1992.The Ethiopian wolf: an endangered endemic canid. Oryx, 26: 205–214.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gottelli D., Siliero-Zubiri C., Applebaum G. D., Roy M. S., Girman D. J., Garcia-Moreno J., Ostranders E. A., Wayne R. K., 1994.Molecular genetics of the most endangered canid: the Ethiopian wolf Canis simensis. Molecular Ecology, 3: 301–312.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gray J. E., 1868.Notes on the skulls of the species of dogs, wolves and foxes (Canidae) in the collection of the British Museum. Proc. zool. Soc. London: 492–525.

  • Hiilman J. C., 1986.Conservation in Bale Mountains national Park, Ethiopia. Oryx, 20: 89–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnston C. S., 1938.Preliminary report on the vertebrate type locality of Cita Canyon, and the description of an ancestral coyote. Amer. Journ. Sci., s. 5, 35: 383–390.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurtén B., 1968.Pleistocene Mammals of Europe. Weidenfield & Nicolson, London, 317 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurtén B., 1974.A history of coyote-lyke dogs (Canidae. Mammalia). Acta Zool. Fennica, 140: 1–38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morris P. A., Malcom J. R., 1977.The Sinnen fox in the Bale Mountains. Oryx, 14: 151–160.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rook L., 1992. «Canis» monticinensissp. nov., a Canidae (Carnivora, Mammalia) from the late Messinian of Italy. Boll. Soc. Paleont. It., 31: 151–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rook L., 1993.I cani dell’Eurasia dal Miocene supenore al Pleistocene media. Doctoral Dissertation, Florence, 154 pp., 29 tabb.

  • Rook L., 1994.The Plio-Pleistocene Old World Canis (Xenocyon)ex gr. falconed. Boll. Soc. Paleont. It., 33: 71–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rook L., Ficcarelli G., Torre D., 1991.Messinian carnivores from Italy. Boll. Soc. Paleont. It., 30: 7–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rook L., Torre D., 1996a.The latest Villafranchian-early Galenan small dogs of the Mediterranean area. Acta Zool. Cracov, in press.

  • Rook L., Torre D., 1996b.The wolf event in western Europe and the beginning of the Late Villafranchian. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie. Monatshefte, 1996, (8): 495–501.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rüppel E., 1838.Neue Wirbelthiere zu der Fauna von Abyssinien gehörig, Säugethiere. Siegmund Schmerber, Frankfurt am Main, 40 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sillero-Zubiri C., Gottelli D., 1994. Canis simensis. Mammalian Species, 485: 1–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sotnikova M., 1989.Late Pliocene early Pleistocene Carnivora stratigraphyc significance. USSR Academy of Sciences Transactions, 440: 1–121 (in russian).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sotnikova M., Kalmipov N. P., 1991.Pliocene Carnivora from Udunga locality, Transbaikal, URSS. In:E. Vangengeim (ed.),Pliocene and Anthropogene Paleoecology and Biostratigraphy, USSR Academy of Sciences, Geological Institute, Moscow: 146–160 (in russian, with english abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Tedford R. H., 1978.History of Dogs and Cats, a view from the fossil record. In:Nutrition and Wanagenient of Dogs and Cats. Ralston Purina Company, St. Louis, Cap. 23: 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tedford R. H., Flynn -J. L., Qiu, Z., Odyke N., Doens W. R., 1991.Yushe basin, China: Paleomagnetically calibrated mammalian biostratigraphic standard for the Late Neogene of eastern Asia. J. Vert, paleont., 11: 519–526.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tedford R. H., Qiu Z., 1996.A new Canid genus from the Pliocene of Yushe, Shanxi Province. Vertebr. PalAsiatica, 34: 27–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thenius E., 1969.Stammesgeschichte der Säugtiere (einschlieslich der Homimden). Handb. Zool., 8: 1–722.

    Google Scholar 

  • Torre D., 1967.I cant villafranchiani della Toscana. Palaeontogr. Italica, 63: 113–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Torrh D., 1979.The Rusaman and Villafranchian dogs of Europe. Boll. Soc. Paleont. It., 18 (2): 162–165.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner A., 1990.The evolution of the guild of larger terrestrial carnivores during the Plio-Pleistocene in Africa. Géobios, 23: 349–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yalden D. W., Largen M. J., Kock D., 1980.Catalogue of the mammals from Ethiopia. 4. Carnivora. Monitore zool. Ital., n.s., 8: 169–272.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Nella seduta del 13 giugno 1996.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rook, L., Luisa, M., Puccetti, A. et al. Remarks on the skull morphology of the endangered Ethiopian jackal, Canis simensis Rappel 1838. Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei 7, 277–302 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03002246

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03002246

Key words

Navigation