Etruscan wolf Canis etruscus (Canidae, Carnivora) from the Early Pleistocene of Crimea (Taurida cave)

The cranial and mandibular fragments of the medium-sized canid from the Early Pleistocene locality of Taurida cave (about 1.8–1.5 Ma) in Crimea are described and included in the hypodigm of the species Canis etruscus Forsyth Major, 1877, a common member of the Late Villafranchian fauna of the Circum-Mediterranean region. This species is reported for the first time from the Northern Black Sea region. The discovered evidence reinforce previous published idea regarding the periodically use of the Taurida cave by canids and other large predators as a den and shelter.