The dog domestication: new ichnological evidence from the Upper Palaeolithic of the Bàsura Cave (Toirano, NW Italy)

The Grotta della Bàsura provides invaluable evidence of human-canid interactions during the Upper Palaeolithic, offering unique insights into early domestication processes and the role of animals in human survival and exploration of hypogean environments. This study focuses on the canine footprints preserved within the cave, combining neoichnological analyses, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and comparative fossil evidence to investigate their origin and significance. Results indicate that the footprints likely belong to a single individual, suggesting a close association between humans and a probable domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris). Neoichnological methods demonstrated that the variation in fossil canine tracks aligns with patterns observed in modern domestic dogs, with key parameters such as footprint width and interdigital angles proving effective for distinguishing forefoot from hindfoot impressions. Regression formulas derived from this analysis reconstructed the trackmaker’s physical characteristics, identifying a large dog weighing approximately 39 kg, with a shoulder height of 69 cm and a total length of 108 cm. The contemporaneity of human and canine tracks is evident through overlapping and superimposed impressions. This ichnological record aligns with genetic and archaeological evidence of dog domestication as a regionally diverse process, dating back 14,400 years. The Grotta della Bàsura represents the earliest direct evidence of domesticated dogs accompanying humans, underscoring their essential role in survival, adaptation, and exploration during the Upper Palaeolithic.