A Pleistocene Fight Club revealed by the palaeobiological study of the Dama-like deer record from Pantalla (Italy)

Here, we report on the exceptionally well-preserved deer record from the locality of Pantalla (central Italy), dated in the Early Pleistocene (ca. 2.1-2.0 million years ago). The fossils show a combination of characters that allows an unambiguous attribution to `Pseudodama' nestii, of which they represent one of the most informative collections to date. Our comparisons—also conducted through CT-based methods on endocranial structures—reveal that the cranial and postcranial skeleton of `P.' nestii displays a mosaic of intermediate characters between extant Dama and Cervus, but also that the affinities with Dama are prevalent. Some Cervus-like features especially in cranial morphology, can be interpreted as plesiomorphic characters supporting a basal position of `Pseudodama' among the Cervini. Interestingly, three bone anomalies are described in the two male crania of `P.' nestii from Pantalla and are interpreted as palaeotraumatological evidence resulting from different injuries suffered by the deer during their life. This allows opening a treasure trove of information on paleobiological aspects, including ontogeny and antler cycle and function.