Extinct fox found in Argentina shared ‘strong bond’ with humans

Dusicyon avus went extinct around 500 years ago (Artur Balytskyi/Alamy/PA)

An extinct fox in Argentina may have once been man’s best friend, sharing a “strong bond” with humans, research suggests.

Analysis of 1,500-year-old skeletal remains at a burial site in Patagonia suggests that Dusicyon avus — also known as Falkland Islands wolf — was “a valuable companion to the hunter-gatherer groups”.