Feeding strategies of the Pleistocene insular dwarf elephants Palaeoloxodon falconeri and Palaeoloxodon mnaidriensis from Sicily (Italy)
Strani, Flavia (Universidad de Zaragoza. Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra)
Rebuffi, Simone (Università di Padova. Dipartimento di Biologia)
Gialanella, Manuela (Università di Padova. Dipartimento di Biologia)
DeMiguel, Daniel (Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont)
Castelli, Stefano (Università di Padova. Dipartimento di Geoscienze)
Fornasiero, Mariagabriella (Università degli Studi di Padova. Centro Museale Universitario)
Artioli, Gilberto (Università di Padova. Dipartimento di Geoscienze)
Dal Sasso, Gregorio (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche. Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse)
Mazzoli, Claudio (Università di Padova. Dipartimento di Geoscienze)
Fusco, Giuseppe (Università di Padova. Dipartimento di Biologia)
Breda, Marzia (Università degli Studi di Padova. Centro Museale Universitario)

Date:	2025
Abstract:	The fossil record of the Mediterranean islands attests to several cases of insular dwarfism. The extinct large-sized straight-tusked elephant Palaeoloxodon antiquus underwent this process at least twice during the Pleistocene, resulting in the evolution of Palaeoloxodon falconeri (early Middle Pleistocene) and Palaeoloxodon mnaidriensis (late Middle Pleistocene or Late Pleistocene) in Sicily, a rare case of two insular taxa evolving from the same ancestral species independently on the same island. We investigate diet-related dental wear patterns of P. falconeri and P. mnaidriensis from Sicily to test niche occupation hypotheses, comparing more spatially restricted (P. falconeri) to more widely distributed, mainland-like (P. mnaidriensis) insular contexts. Although P. falconeri did not compete with other herbivorous mammals and could have exploited the most nutritious and palatable resources as a browser, dental meso- and microwear patterns suggest a high degree of dietary abrasion. Palaeoloxodon mnaidriensis, which coexisted with other large herbivores and carnivores, also bears dental meso- and microwear patterns indicative of a high intake of abrasive items. A scenario of insular woodiness (i. e. increased woodiness in insular plants), combined with intense exploitation of the limited vegetation due to the absence of predatory pressure, may explain the abrasive dental wear patterns of P. falconeri. The high degree of abrasion observed in the P. mnaidriensis patterns may reflect an adaptation to a grazing diet associated with the expansion of open grasslands during the Late Pleistocene. This indicates that the dwarf elephants of Sicily developed similar dietary adaptations, albeit in response to different ecological conditions.
Grants:	European Commission 101102131
Note:	Altres ajuts: Government of Aragon Research Group "Extinción y reconstrucción paleoambiental" (E33_23R)
Rights:	Aquest material està protegit per drets d'autor i/o drets afins. Podeu utilitzar aquest material en funció del que permet la legislació de drets d'autor i drets afins d'aplicació al vostre cas. Per a d'altres usos heu d'obtenir permís del(s) titular(s) de drets.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió acceptada per publicar
Subject:	Island rule ; Quaternary ; Sicily ; Dental mesowear ; Dental microwear ; Insular dwarf elephants
Published in:	Papers in Palaeontology, Vol. 11, Issue 5 (September-October 2025) , art. e70036, ISSN 2056-2802

DOI: 10.1002/spp2.70036

Available from: 2026-10-31 Postprint

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles