Extinct fox found in Argentina shared ‘strong bond’ with humans – study

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An extinct fox in Argentina might have as soon as been man’s finest good friend, sharing a “strong bond” with humans, analysis suggests.

Analysis of 1,500-year-old skeletal stays at a burial web site in Patagonia means that Dusicyon avus – also referred to as Falkland Islands wolf – was “a valuable companion to the hunter-gatherer groups”.

The fox bones belong to a single animal whereas the human stays come from 21 totally different people, in what scientists described as “a very rare and unusual find”.

The crew mentioned the findings, revealed in the journal Royal Society Open Science, represents “a unique case” of partnership between a human and a wild South American fox.

Lack of lower marks on the bones counsel D. avus was not hunted by humans for meals, the scientists mentioned.

Study writer Dr Ophelie Lebrasseur, of the University of Oxford’s School of Archaeology, mentioned: “There are several factors that led to identifying our fox as a companion or a pet rather than as part of the humans’ diet.

“None of the animal bones present any traces of cut marks, which suggests the individual was not eaten.

“The specimen was buried on a human burial site along with 21 other human beings.

“This is a very rare and unusual find, and suggests it probably held personal significance.

“Finally, its diet resembled that of the humans buried on the site rather than the diet of wild canids, including your typical Dusicyon avus.

“Such a similarity in diets suggests it was either fed by the hunter-gatherers or it fed on the kitchen refuse.”

Researchers say D. avus would have had a physique mass of round 10 to 15kg, which is in regards to the measurement of a German shepherd.

It would have lived in numerous open areas – with grasses and low shrubs – in massive components of South America, together with Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.

The archaeological document suggests D. avus went extinct about 500 years in the past, the crew mentioned, however causes for his or her disappearance are unclear.

One idea is that the arrival of home canines in Patagonia someplace between 700 and 900 years in the past might have contributed to their demise.

However, the researchers mentioned that any potential mating between the 2 species wouldn’t have performed a significant function in D. avus’s extinction due to “a low probability of producing viable and fertile hybrid offspring”.

And whether or not these foxes would have made good pets additionally nonetheless stays unknown.

Dr Lebrasseur mentioned: “Some individuals may have been less scared of humans, which may have facilitated the development of a closer bond, but we cannot currently confirm this.”

She added: “We do believe though that finding a Dusicyon avus specimen with such a close relationship with the hunter-gatherer community is very rare and really interesting, and represents quite a unique case of a human-wild South American fox partnership.”