Phenotypic diversity in early Australian dingoes revealed by traditional and 3D geometric morphometric analysis.

ABSTRACT: The dingo is a wild dog endemic to Australia with enigmatic origins. Dingoes are one of two remaining unadmixed populations of an early East Asian dog lineage, the other being wild dogs from the New Guinea highlands, but morphological connections between these canid groups have long proved elusive. Here, we investigate this issue through a morphometric study of ancient dingo remains found at Lake Mungo and Lake Milkengay, in western New South Wales. Direct accelerated mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates from an ancient Lake Mungo dingo demonstrate that dingoes with a considerably smaller build than the predominant modern morphotype were present in semi-arid southeastern Australia c.3000-3300 calBP. 3D geometric morphometric analysis of a near-complete Mungo cranium finds closest link

SUBMITTER: Koungoulos LG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11411105 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature