Sub-speciation processes of equids in the Iberian Peninsula: Ecological strategies and refuge areas

Abstract

Equus is a genus that have generated a lot of debate among the scientific community. Its complex taxonomy led to the set-up of many forms that are questioned nowadays. In Upper Pleistocene Europe, several subspecies have been described in order to qualify chronological evolutions or geographical adaptations. In Peninsulas, while several subspecies have been defined, their connection to the main continental equids are not well-known. The site of Canyars in northeastern Iberian Peninsula has yield numerous remains of Equus caballus and Equus hydruntinus in very good preservation state. According to the mortality profile of E. caballus, it is likely that they experienced a catastrophic death before being scavenged by biological agencies, such as hyenas. While the European donkey can be attributed to the subspecies E. h. davidi, the horse seems to differ from the continental sub-contemporaneous cohorts. The differentiation in the sub-speciation processes between E. hydruntinus and E. caballus may be related to their ecological strategies and dependence to refuge areas.