Palaeolithic dog skulls at the Gravettian Predmosti site, the Czech Republic

Whether or not the wolf was domesticated during the early Upper Palaeolithic remains a controversial issue. We carried out detailed analyses of the skull material from the Gravettian Predmosti site, Czech Republic, to investigate the issue. Three complete skulls from Predmosti were identified as Palaeolithic dogs, characterized by short skull lengths, short snouts, and wide palates and braincases relative to wolves. One complete skull could be assigned to the group of Pleistocene wolves. Three other skulls could not be assigned to a reference group: these might be remains from hybrids or captive wolves. Modifications by humans of the skull and canine remains from the large canids of Predmosti indicate a specific relationship between humans and large canids. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.