The taxonomic status of European Plio-Pleistocene badgers

摘要: ABSTRACT The taxonomic status of European Plio-Pleistocene badgers is currently uncertain, due to the relative scarcity their fossil remains. Here we describe craniodental remains from Iberian locality Vallparadis, indicating that extant badger (Meles meles) was distributed throughout Europe during late Villafranchian. On basis morphological and morphometrical comparisons, attribute studied specimens, together with other Villafranchian Epivillafranchian Europe, M. meles atavus, thereby considering hollitzeri dimitrius (in part) are subjective junior synonyms former. Only early middle thorali can be considered a distinct species, iberica being this species. It concluded species must have diverged Asian before top Olduvai subchron. Available molecular paleontological d...