Genomic analyses of the extinct Sardinian dhole (Cynotherium sardous) reveal its evolutionary history

Abstract

The Sardinian dhole (Cynotherium sardous) was an iconic and unique canid species of canid that was endemic of Sardinia and Corsica until it became extinct at the end of the Late Pleistocene. Given its peculiar dental morphology, small body size and high level of endemism, several canids have been proposed as possible ancestors of the Sardinian dhole, including the Asian dhole and African hunting dog ancestor. Morphometric analyses have failed to clarify the evolutionary relationship with other canids. We sequenced the genome of a ca 21,100 year old Sardinian dhole in order to understand its genomic history and clarify its phylogenetic position. We found it represents a separate taxon from all other living canids from Eurasia, Africa and North America, and that the Sardinian and Asian dhole lineages diverged ca 885 ka. We additionally detected historical gene flow between the Sardinian and Asian dhole lineages, that ended approximately 500-300 ka, when the landbridge between Sardinia and mainland Italy was broken, severing their population connectivity. Our sample showed low genome-wide diversity compared to other extant canids - probably a result of the long term isolation - that could have contributed to the subsequent extinction of the Sardinian dhole.

First Attempt to Infer Sound Hearing and Its Paleoenvironmental Implications in the Extinct Insular Canid Cynotherium sardous Studiati, 1857 (Sardinia, Italy)

“…Recently, a genomic study was conducted on specimens from Corbeddu cave [ 31 ], representing the most recent C. sardous remains known thus far (11,405–11,199 BC) [ 32 ]. The results obtained by the research team confirm, on the one hand, that the Cynotherium insular canid lineage is distinct from all other living canids from Eurasia, Africa, and North America and, on the other hand, that it is genetically linked to the Asian wild dog ( Cuon alpinus ) and diverged from the dhole lineage around 885 ka.…”