Adaptations of the Pleistocene island canid Cynotherium sardous (Sardinia, Italy) for hunting small prey

Cynotherium sardous is a small canid that lived on the island of Sardinia-Corsica during the Pleistocene. Once on the island, the species gradually adapted, and became specialized in hunting small prey like the lagomorph Prolagus. Moreover, in order to fulfil mass-related energetic requirements, the species had to reduce body size compared to its ancestor Xenocyon, which was larger than the grey wolf. Cynotherium carried its head much in the way foxes do, and was able to hold its body low to the ground when stalking. In addition, it could move its head laterally better than any living canid.