Alopex, Kaup, 1829

Fourvel, Jean-Baptiste, Fosse, Philippe, Fernandez, Philippe & Antoine, Pierre-Olivier, 2015, Large mammals of Fouvent-Saint-Andoche (Haute-Saône, France): a glimpse into a Late Pleistocene hyena den, Geodiversitas 37 (2), pp. 237-266 : 244

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5252/g2015n2a5
publication LSID	urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0117CBA4-4CE0-4431-B5F6-721F998C72C7
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/038087D7-FFEF-FF91-FE6E-FA3DFAA03649
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Alopex
status

Treatment

cf. Alopex View in CoL sp.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — NISP =1; MNI =1.

1989-1992 sample: 1 right metatarsal V.

DESCRIPTION

A small right metatarsal V (Fvt 90-92 G8.B.288) could be related to the polar fox.Osteometrical comparison of this element with other modern or Würmian populations of both red and polar fox allows us to refer the concerned remain to as Alopex ( Table 3). The metatarsal length (GL= 51 mm) matches the larger specimens recorded in Pleistocene samples ( Clot 1980; Baryshnikov 2006) and modern populations ( Altuna 2004). However, the proximal breadth (Bp) is large (8 mm) and could coincide with measurements of the red fox. But, in contrast, metatarsals V of Vulpes with a length lower than 55 mm seems to be uncommon. This kind of small-sized red fox has been only recorded in extant populations ( Altuna 2004). However, the recorded dimensions overlap those of both Vulpes and Alopex . As such, the metatarsal V from Fouvent could either belong to a very small red fox or to a large polar fox. The geochronological context of Fouvent and the proportions/dimensions of the concerned bone are compatible with the presence of A. lagopus . Accordingly, we prefer to let this specimen in open nomenclature, referring it to as cf. Alopex sp.

Family MUSTELIDAE Fischer de Waldheim, 1817 Subfamily MUSTELINAE Fischer de Waldheim, 1817 Genus Gulo Linnaeus, 1758