Ecomorphology of the Early Pleistocene Badger Meles dimitrius from Greece

Τhe functional morphology of the skull of the fossil badger Meles dimitrius from the Early Pleistocene of Greece is studied by means of comparative myological and osteological analyses with the extant representatives of the genus Meles from Europe and Asia. The myological analysis of the masticatory system allowed the reconstruction of a ‘muscle map’ of the significant muscles for feeding and prey capture for the extant Meles meles and, by analogy, for the extinct Meles dimitrius . The quantitative osteological analysis computed several functional cranial, mandibular, and dental measurements and indices, as well as endocranial volume, bite force, and body mass, in order to identify characters that could be attributed to different ecomorphs. Two main ecomorphological groups were recognized within extant Meles . One includes the mainland forms ( M. meles, M. leucurus ) and the other the insular populations ( M. canescens from Crete and M. anakuma from Japan). Apart from its size, Meles dimitrius appears closer to the insular group, which is characterized by a relatively more developed masticatory system, a well-developed temporalis muscle, increased bite forces, increased endocranial volume and possibly a better adaptation to processing meat. The similarity of M. dimitrius with the insular group could be related to the retention of a primitive active predatory and meat-consuming behavior. Alternatively, M. dimitrius could have represented a relatively isolated population having evolved features convergently found in the insular extant badgers.