Ursus gr. spelaeus from Grotta del Bandito (Piedmont, Northern Italy). 1. Morphodynamics of teeth and indications of an evolutionary step

Abstract

This study is focused on cave bears from the Grotta del Bandito (Cuneo Province, Piedmont Region, Northern Italy), especially their teeth. The morphodynamic analyses have been elaborated and compared with other cave bears from Northern Italy, and other cave bear taxa from particular European sites. The Grotta del Bandito bears are similar in size to other cave bears from Italy, and no differences were observed with the other cave bear species or subspecies (e.g. U. ingressus, U. s. ladinicus, U. s. eremus). Thus their inclusion in the U. gr. spelaeus is the most appropriate classification, and they show a simpler dental surface than the “modern” cave bears (i.e. ingressus). The question of whether a single species of spelaeus lived in North Italy, is also introduced. In fact, the differences in size are probably the result of population variability, and no clear evidence of other spelaeoid species and/or subspecies, i.e. ingressus, s. ladinicus and s. eremus, was discovered.