Concerning the extinction of the wild horse in Italy and the newly introduction as domesticate: recent evidence from Grotta dei Cervi - Porto Badisco (Lecce, south Italy)

The radiocarbon dates of some equid remains coming from Grotta dei Cervi - Porto Badisco (Otranto, Apulia, south Italy) - that was for a long time frequented in the Prehistory are here presented. The occurrence of wild equids and the new introduction as domesticate in Italy in Prehistorical time has been the subject of intense debate for years. Until a few years ago, wild equids were thought to be extinct at the end of Pleistocene, not surviving after the last glacial period. The discovery from Grotta delle Mura, south Italy, had already questioned the period when the extinction of these species occurred. The 14C dates of the equid remains from Grotta dei Cervi aim at a better understanding of the dynamics of equid extinction and new introduction in Italy. They contribute to discuss on the last presence of equids in south Italy at least until the beginning of the Atlantic.