A revision of the genus Dinofelis (Mammalia, Felidae)

Abstract

This paper consists of a taxonomic and systematic revision of the extinct felid genus Dinofelis (Felidae, Machairodontinae) and an analysis of its ecomorphology and evolution. Dirwfelis has a broad distribution, with material from all northern continents and Africa, the latter of which was the apparent centre of evolution of the genus. We describe new material of Dinofelis from a number of sites in eastern Africa and reconsider all previously described material. We name two new species and identify several other distinct species-level taxa but refrain from naming these due to a paucity of well-preserved material. At the same time, we synonymize the two named Asian species, D. cristata and D. abeli, of which the former has priority. There are few characters useful in systematic analysis, but we can suggest at least one migration from eastern to southern Africa. Ecomorphological analysis of both craniodental and postcranial characters suggests that Dinofelis in many respects converged on modern pantherine cats in morphology and behaviour, a trend culminating in the South African D. barlowi and the Asian D. cristata, which are the most pantherine-like of all machairodont felids. This trend is reversed in the evolution of the youngest species, D. piveteaui, which is also the most machairodont in its ecomorphology. The timing of the extinction of Dinofelis is difficult t o determine. Outside Africa material is scarce at all times, while in Africa the apparent extinction of Dinofelis at about 1.4 Mya coincides with the end of the good, semi-continuous fossil record present in eastern Africa from about 4Mya onwards. Dating of Kanam East (with D. piveteaui) to the Jaramillo Subchron (1.07O-O.990 Mya) suggests possible survival considerably later. Thus, the extinction datum for Dinofelis cannot at present be firmly established.

First description of in situ primate and faunal remains from the Plio-Pleistocene Drimolen Makondo palaeocave infill, Gauteng, South Africa

“…and extant P. leo (Lewis, 1995). Indeed, DNM 54 is larger than all published Dinofelis calcanei thus far described (Werdelin and Lewis, 2001; O'Regan and Menter, 2009). Discussion.…”

Pleistocene Carnivora (Mammalia) from Tighennif (Ternifine), Algeria

“…The clearest difference with machairodonts concerns the medial epicondyle, which is more robust and located much more caudally in Panthera, so that the bar that bridges the entepicondylar foramen and ends into the epicondyle is oblique distocaudally, instead of being proximo-distally oriented as in Homotherium. In addition, as noted by Werdelin and Lewis (2001), the trochlea of Panthera is broader relative to its diameter than in Dinofelis, and still more so than in Homotherium; that of TER-2298 is very broad.…”

“…The complete radius TER-2297 is larger than in Dinofelis, but its proportions and general shape are similar, although it is perhaps less curved (Werdelin and Lewis, 2001: figs. 11(D−E), 16(C)) and clearly more massive than in Homotherium (e.g., Ballésio, 1963: fig.27;Werdelin and Lewis, 2013: fig.…”

Diverse diets of the Mio-Pliocene carnivorans of Langebaanweg, South Africa

“…The majority of the literature on the LBW felids focuses on the larger specimens ascribed to the machairodont taxon Dinofelis (Figure 1d). 3,[35][36][37][38] Less complete remains of a second large sabretoothed cat, ascribed to Homotherium, have also been found at LBW. 7 There also are smaller felids in the sample -most of which have been questionably assigned to the modern genus Felis (Figure 1c), namely F. obscura and F. issiodorensis (both of which are lynx-like), 'Felis sp.…”

“…6 The wide distribution of Dinofelis and its especially broad presence (both in number of localities and specimens at those localities) in Africa suggest that it could be the most common fossil felid in the African Neogene. 27,38 The specimens from LBW represent the oldest known individuals of Dinofelis 15 and have been ascribed to the taxon D. cf. diastemata 27 which differs from its Eurasian congeners by a smaller body size and the presence of craniodental characteristics similar to those of the non-sabretooth genus Panthera in that it possessed a short upper canine, a P3 less reduced than in other machairodonts, and a less elongated m1 than those found in other machairodonts.…”