Wolves (Canis lupus) from Igue du Gral: results of the taphonomic and paleontological studies.- The wolves bones discovered in the pit-fall (NR = 878 ; diverticulum excluded NR = 90) have been studied since the beginning of the excavations to charact

Wolves (Canis lupus) from Igue du Gral: results of the taphonomic and paleontological studies.- The wolves bones discovered in the pit-fall (NR = 878 ; diverticulum excluded NR = 90) have been studied since the beginning of the excavations to characterize the cave’s lupine population from a paleontological point of view and to discuss the behavior of this species in this particular context. This wolf « population » (11 individuals) is of major interest in the study of the evolution of the wolf lineage during the Pleistocene. Moreover, because of their antiquity (ca 19 ka cal BP), the wolves from the Igue du Gral constitute a reference comparison population for discussing the domestication of this species.