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True badgers (genus Meles) are widely spread across the Palearctic region, from the Iberian Peninsula to the Japanese archipelago (Macdonald, 2001; Proulx et al., 2016). The taxonomy and the relationships of the different species represent yet unresolved issues in the study of the Mustelidae family (Baryshinikov et al., 2003). Based on craniodental morphology, skull proportions, color patterns of the face marks and baculum structure, at least three distinct species can be identified: the European badger Meles meles Linnaeus, 1758 (spread in Europe and Southwest and Central Asia), the Asian badger Meles leucurus Hodgson, 1847 (continental Asia) and the Japanese badger Meles anakuma Temminck, 1844 (Japan). In addition, molecular phylogenetic studies (Del Cerro et al., 2010; Tashima et al., 2011) and morphometric investigations (Abramov and Puzachenko, 2006; 2013) led to the distinction of badgers from Caucasus and Middle-East from the Eurasian stock, known as Meles canescens (Caucasian badger). In Eurasian fossil record, the genus Meles Blanford, 1875 probably evolved from Melodon during the Ruscinian (early Pliocene) in the temperate forests of Asia (Kurtén, 1968). The early representatives of the genus were widespread throughout the Europe (Neal & Cheeseman, 1996), reaching the Iberian Peninsula during the Plio-Pleistocene transition (MadurellMalapeira et al., 2009). According to several authors (Madurell-Malapeira, 2010; Madurell-Malapeira et al., 2011a), the remains from early to middle Villafranchian sites (Pliocene to Early Pleistocene) of Europe can be referred to a single species, Meles thorali. This species differs from its descendant M. meles in several cranial and dental features (see MadurellMalapeira et al., 2011a). Albeit several badger species/ subspecies were established on fossil specimens from the late Villafranchian to early Aurelian faunal assemblages of Europe (Meles thorali spelaeus Bonifay, 1971; Meles dimitrius Koufos, 1992; Meles hollitzeri Rabeder, 1976; Meles atavus Kormos, 1914), all the badger remains from the late Early to Late Pleistocene have recently been reconsidered as ecomorphotypes of the highly variable M. meles (Madurell-Malapeira et al., 2011b). In the Italian fossil record, the presence of this carnivoran is reported by few localities from Early to Middle Pleistocene (Mecozzi et al., 2019). Its first occurrence is from the late Villafranchian site of Pirro Nord (Pirro 10) (Apulia, southern Italy), represented by a mandibular fragment (Petrucci et al., 2013). Although the European badger is a common element of the Middle to Late Pleistocene mammal assemblage (see Mecozzi et al., 2019), its materials are rarely studied and described, with the exception for a splanchnocranial portion from the Italian site of Ingarano (Iurino, 2014). The morphometric comparisons of European badger from Early to Late Pleistocene sites of Italian Peninsula is here presented, in order to investigate the variability of fossil material.

The European badger Meles meles from Middle Pleistocene to Early Holocene of Italian Peninsula