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32. Carnivora
Abstract and Figures
The order Carnivora has a shorter history in Africa than on any other continent except Australasia and South America. The definite record of the order on the African continent extends back to the Lower Miocene, though some earlier records may exist. During this time, the order has diversified enormously, first as a result of migrations from Eurasia and later as a result of in situ speciation. Despite this, little is known about the history of African Carnivora compared with most continents, mainly due to the geographically biased fossil record on the African continent. For the Plio-Pleistocene, only parts of northern, eastern, and southern Africa have an adequate Carnivoran fossil record, and for the Miocene the situation is much worse, as only some time slices of this epoch have an adequate record in some parts of eastern Africa. This chapter describes the systematic paleontology of Pholidota. It reviews more than 100 genera and about twice that many species. The organization is by family (in standard order) and genus. The chapter concludes with short sections on biogeography and migration patterns.
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... Whilst the restricted microfaunal evidence generally supports correlation of the Bou Hanifia Formation to the Vallesian-Turolian (albeit with pertinent questions concerning the identification of the fossils), the large mammal remains suggest a late Turolian to Ventian correlation, several authors having noted that the hyaenids (Werdelin and Peigné 2010), suids (Cooke 1987), giraffoids (Harris et al. 2010), and equids White 2009, Bernor et al. 2010) are FOSSIL IMPRINT • vol. 80 • 2024 • no. 2 • pp. ...
... The current name of the place is Hacine (also Hassine in the literature; Belkebir et al. 1996). Werdelin and Peigné (2010) included Marceau (also known as Menacer) in the Turolian, aged between 7.0 and 5.7 Ma. Subsequently, in the system of continental land mammal ages, the upper part of the Turolian ranging in age from 6.9-5.1 Ma, was defined as the Ventian mammal age (Morales et al. 2013), being more or less equivalent in geological time to the marine Messinian. ...
Studies during the 1970’s and 1980’s concluded that the continental Bou Hanifia Formation spanned the Vallesian and Turolian stages, the majority early opinion being that it was basal Vallesian and that it had yielded the oldest known remnants of the equid Hipparion from Africa. This opinion was taken to be backed-up by radio-isotopic age determinations of ca. 12.2 Ma obtained from volcanic tuffs that were originally mapped as being near the base of the formation. However, later suggestions in the literature indicated that some of the large mammals could be as young as late Turolian to Ventian (8–7 Ma). If so, then a major revision of North African biostratigraphy would be required. This paper focuses on the large mammals and avian eggshells recovered from the Bou Hanifia region, taking into account recent revisions of African faunas and a much augmented data base about their stratigraphic distribution, and it is concluded that the Bou Hanifia fossils have the closest relations to material from the late Turolian and Ventian Stages, and are thus likely to be of latest Miocene (Ventian) age (MN 13).
A mandible fragment of Acinonyx pardinensis (Croizet et Jobert, 1828) is described from the Early Pleistocene locality in the Taurida cave (Crimea, Late Villafranchian, about 1.8–1.5 Ma). This is the first discovery of the genus Acinonyx in the Pleistocene of Crimea. Along with other felids, such as Homotherium, Megantereon, Panthera, Lynx, and Puma, cheetahs were typical representatives of the Late Villafranchian faunas of Eurasia. In the Taurida locality, Acinonyx pardinensis is co-occurred with Homotherium crenatidens, Megantereon adroveri, and Lynx issiodorensis.
The long, gracile morphology of the limb bones of the Late Miocene hyaenid Ictitherium ebu has led to the hypothesis that this animal was cursorial. The forelimb and femur of the holotype were compared with specimens of extant Hyaenidae and Canidae. Two morphometric methods were used. The first used measurements to calculate indices of different morphological characters. The second method involved capturing photographs of the anterior distal humerus of each specimen, mapping six landmarks on them, and calculating truss distances. These distances represent a schematic reproduction of the elbow. Multivariate statistical analysis primarily separated the data based on taxonomy, yet locomotor and habitat categories were also considered. Ictitherium ebu has an overall morphology similar to that of the maned wolf and a distal humerus reminiscent of that of the aardwolf. The long, gracile limb bones of I. ebu are suggested to be adaptations for pouncing on prey, for locomotor efficiency, and for looking over the tall grass of the open environments the animal lived in, much like the present-day maned wolf.
Saber-toothed cats dominated latest Pliocene to Early Pleistocene ecosystems in the Old World, potentially competing with early hominins for food resources. However, the Pleistocene fossil records of the medium-sized Megantereon are often fragmented and scarce, leading to contentious debates among scholars regarding its evolutionary history.
Previously, it was commonly believed that Megantereon became locally extinct in Europe during the Early Pleistocene, albeit without a precise timeline. In this study, we present findings from an unpublished Megantereon neurocranium discovered in the Iberian Vallparadís Section. This discovery is correlated with the Jaramillo magnetostratigraphic subchron (ca. 1.0 Ma; MIS30). Additionally, we propose a connection between the disappearance of European Megantereon and the climatic shifts associated with the ‘Early-Middle Pleistocene Transition’, particularly the increase in aridity and expansion of open landscapes observed during the protracted glacial stage MIS30.
The fossil records of the cheetahs in eastern Asia are is rare, and mostly fragmented,
then and in theconsequence, the evolution of this lineage in eastern Asia remained
remains obscure. In this study, we report the new material from two early Middle
Pleistocene sites, the upper deposits (L2) of Jinyuan Cave (Dalian) and Zhoukoudian
Loc.13 (Beijing). These specimens are identified here as Acinonyx pleistocaenicus and
represent the latest and largest-sized member of the species. Acinonyx
pleistocaenicus shows a suit of craniodental traits that distinguishes it from the earlier
Early Pleistocene A. pardinensis but, and relates it closer to modern A. jubatus , and
should be regarded as a valid species. Shortly after the age represented by
Zhoukoudian Loc. 13 (0.6-0.7 Ma), the giant cheetah was replaced by much smaller
and morphologically different Acinonyx intermedius, supporting these two species as
independent, and the latter was likely a new immigrant from Africa around the Early-
Middle Pleistocene boundary, together with Panthera spelaea, Panthera pardus, and
Parahyaena prisca.
Here, we describe and revise craniodental material from Langebaanweg ‘E’ Quarry (South Africa, early Pliocene, ∼5.2 Ma), which represents one of the largest and best-preserved collections of sabertooth felids from Mio-Pliocene deposits of Africa. Four taxa, including two new species, are recognized: Lokotunjailurus chinsamyae sp. nov., Adeilosmilus aff. kabir, Yoshi obscura, and Dinofelis werdelini sp. nov. The felid guild composition analyzed herein suggests the presence of a mosaic environment with open components in the region, and shows a potential relationship with that of Yuanmou, suggesting a similar environment and/or dispersal route/event. The reassessment of the rich early Pliocene felids from Langebaanweg is a step toward understanding the transition and evolution of the felids in the southern hemisphere during the late Miocene to early Pliocene.
The iconic sabretooth Homotherium is thought to have hunted cooperatively, but the origin of this behaviour and correlated morphological adaptations are largely unexplored. Here we report the most primitive species of Amphimachairodus (Amphimachairodus hezhengensis sp. nov.), a member of Machairodontini basal to Homotherium, from the Linxia Basin, northeastern border of the Tibetan Plateau (9.8-8.7 Ma). The long snout, laterally oriented and posteriorly located orbit of Amphimachairodus suggest a better ability to observe the surrounding environment, rather than targeting single prey, pointing to an adaptation to the open environment or social behaviour. A pathological forepaw of Amphimachairodus provides direct evidence of partner care. Our analyses of trait evolutionary rates support that traits correlated with killing behaviour and open environment adaptation evolved prior to other traits, suggesting that changes in hunting behaviour may be the major evolutionary driver in the early evolution of the lineage. A. hezhengensis represents one of the most important transitions in the evolution of Machairodontini, leading to adaptation in open environments and contributing to their further dispersal and radiation worldwide. This rapid morphological change is likely to be correlated with increasingly arid environments caused by the rise of the Tibetan Plateau, and competition from abundant large carnivores in this area.
The family Nimravidae is poorly known from the Siwalik Group that comprises freshwater deposits having an age that spans 18.0-0.6 Ma. The new material recovered from the Dhok Ban Ameer Khatoon (Chinji Formation) and Sethi Nagri (type locality of the Nagri Formation) is assigned to Sansanosmilus rhomboidalis based on the morphology of canine. The recovered material is unique and rare in the
Siwaliks of northern Pakistan. It also increases the stratigraphic range of this barbourofelines species from the Chinji Formation to the Nagri Formation.
New material from the early Miocene locality Ulm-Westtan-gente (SW-Germany) and old finds from Selles-sur-Cher (France) provide new evidence for the reconsideration of the systematic position of "Amphicyon" intermedius. A new genus Crassidia is described on the basis of a specific type of dental morphology of this species as well as the pronounced sharing function of the dentition. On the basis of these peculiarities Crassidia together with Ysengrinia and Amphicyonopsis is referred to the new tribe Ysengriniini.
Kurzfassung.
Mit Hilfe von Neufunden von der untermiozänen Fundstelle Ulm-Westtangente (Baden-Württemberg) und von schon früher gemachten Funden aus Selles-sur-Cher (Frankreich) wird die systematische Stellung von "Amphicyon" intermedius überprüft. Für die Art wird das neue Genus Crassidia aufge stellt. Diese Gattung wird innerhalb der Amphicyoninae zu sammen mit Ysengrinia und Amphicyonopsis auf Grund des übereinstimmenden Bezahnungstyps, der einen spezifischen Abkauungsmodus bewirkt, zu der neuen Tribus Ysengriniini zusammengefaßt. Abstract Systematical assessment of "Amphicyon'' intermedius H. v. Meyer, 1849 (Carnivora, Amphicyonidae).
Résumé. La position systématique d' "Amphicyon" intermedius H. v. Meyer, 1849 (Carnivora, Amphicyonidae) De nouvelles trouvailles d'Amphicyonidés provenant du mio cène inférieur de la localité Ulm-Westtangente (Allemagne du Sud-Ouest) et des matériaux des anciennes collections de Selles-sur-Cher (France) permettent de réconsidérer la positi on systématique de l'espèce "Amphicyon" intermediuss et de creer le nouveau genre Crassidia. Ce genre est réuni avec Ysengrinia et Amphicyonopsis dans la nouvelle tribu Ysengriniini, unité systématique, qui est charactérisée par un type de dentition assez spécial contribuant à une fonction coupante bien avancée.
A taxonomic revision of the mustelid carnivoran genus Eomellivora Zdansky, 1924 (= Perunium Orlov, 1947) is carried out. The genus is removed to the subfamily Mustelinae Fischer von Waldheim, 1817 (= Peruniinae Orlov, 1947). It consists of the single lineage or species Eomellivora wimani Zdansky, 1924 that evolved during the Late Miocene in Eurasia and North America. The characteristic feature in the evolution of this species was a progressive anteroposterior shortening and buccolingual broadening of the upper canines and the upper and lower premolars, as well as an increase in the massiveness of the lower canines, associated with a gradual augmentation in the number and size of the secondary cusps on the premolars. The species comprised the primitive Vallesian (early Late Miocene) chronosubspecies Eomellivora wimani piveteaui Ozansoy, 1965 known from Europe and the derived Turolian, Baodean, and Hemphillian (late Late Miocene) chronosubspecies Eomellivora wimani wimani Zdansky, 1924 occurring in Europe, Asia, and North America. The synonymy of Eomellivora wimani piveteaui includes Eomellivora liguritor Crusafont Pairó & Ginsburg, 1973, whereas that of Eomellivora wimani wimani contains Eomellivora californica Kretzoi, 1942, Eomellivora hungarica hungarica Kretzoi, 1942, Eomellivora hungarica altera Kretzoi, 1942, Perunium ursogulo Orlov, 1947, Eomellivora rumana Orlov, 1947, and Eomellivora orlovi Kretzoi, 1965. The species "Eomellivora" necrophila Pilgrim, 1932 and "Eomellivora" tenebrarum Pilgrim, 1932 are excluded from the genus Eomellivora.
Werdelin and Lewis (2000) recently described a new species of the saber-tooth genus Megantereon (Mammalia, Carnivora, Felidae) from Late Pliocene (∼3.5 Ma) deposits of the Nachukui Formation south of the Turkwel River in Turkana, northern Kenya (Ward et al., 1999). The new species, Megantereon ekidoit, is said to represent the earliest occurrence of this genus in Africa. It was described from a right mandibular ramus (KNM-St 23812) with i3–ml. As discussed below, the post-canine diastema is longer than the cheek-tooth row, since there does not appear to have been a third premolar (p3), and the coronoid process is relatively well developed, showing a hook-shaped morphology (Werdelin and Lewis, 2000: Fig. 1). The fourth premolar (p4) and the lower carnassial tooth (ml) show considerable wear.