New insights into the giant mustelids (Mammalia, Carnivora, Mustelidae) from Langebaanweg fossil site (West Coast Fossil Park, South Africa, early Pliocene)

Abstract

Giant mustelids are a paraphyletic group of mustelids found in the Neogene of Eurasia, Africa and North America. Most are known largely from dental remains, with their postcranial skeleton mostly unknown. Here, we describe new craniodental and postcranial remains of the large lutrine Sivaonyx hendeyi and the leopard-size gulonine Plesiogulo aff. monspessulanus from the early Pliocene site Langebaanweg, South Africa. The new material of the endemic S. hendeyi, includes upper incisors and premolars, and fragmentary humerus, ulna and a complete astragalus. Its postcrania shares more traits with the living Aonyx capensis than the late Miocene Sivaonyx beyi from Chad. Sivaonyx hendeyi could therefore be tentatively interpreted as a relatively more aquatic taxon than the Chadian species, comparable to A. capensis. The new specimens of Plesiogulo comprise two edentulous maxillae, including one of a juvenile individual with incomplete decidual dentition, and a fragmentary forelimb of an adult individual. The new dental measurements point to this form being amongst the largest specimens of the genus. Both P3-4 differs from the very large species Plesiogulo botori from late Miocene of Kenya and Ethiopia. This confirms the existence of two distinct large species of Plesiogulo in Africa during the Mio/Pliocene, P. botori in the Late Miocene of Eastern Africa (6.1–5.5 Ma) and Plesiogulo aff. monspessulanus at the beginning of the Pliocene in southern Africa (5.2 Ma). Lastly, we report for the first time the presence of both Sivaonyx and Plesiogulo in MPPM and LQSM at Langebaanweg, suggesting that the differences observed from the locality may be produced by sedimentation or sampling biases instead of temporal replacement within the carnivoran guild.

First occurrence of Sivatherium Falconer and Cautley, 1836 (Mammalia, Ruminantia, Giraffidae) in the Iberian Peninsula

“…The other possibility (Scenario B) is an African origin for S. hendeyi from an as yet unknown giraffid, with a later dispersal to the Iberian Peninsula. The existence of connections between Africa and the Iberian Peninsula during the Messinian Salinity Crisis is well documented, and in PdlC there are several faunal elements of African origin such as Debruijnimys, Macaca, Alatochelon, and Plesiogulo (Piñero et al, 2017;Alba et al, 2018;Pérez-García et al, 2020;Valenciano and Govender, 2020). This, added to the younger age of PdlC, could provide support for Scenario B.…”

A fossil terrestrial fauna from Tobène (Senegal) provides a unique early Pliocene window in western Africa

“…The overall dimensions of this femur are congruent with those of large extant otters, such as Enhydra and Pteronura (Lewis 2008). Its size is very close to that of the African Aonyx capensis, notably its length, FRI and FEI; it, however, displays larger mid-shaft diameter (Valenciano and Govender 2020). Lutrinae are represented by seven genera in the African fossil record and the systematics of this subfamily is essentially based on dental features (Werdelin and Peigné 2010).…”

“…Within the group of bunodont lutrine, Lewis (2008) showed that the morphology of the postcranial skeleton is more variable than the dental morphology. Some lutrine femurs have been described from African Mio-Pliocene deposits (Lewis 2008, Peigné et al 2008, Geraads et al 2011, Valenciano and Govender 2020. Most of them are larger than the Senegalese specimen, such as Sivaonyx from Langebaanweg and Toros-Menalla (Peigné et al 2008, Valenciano andGovender 2020) and some bunodont lutrines from Hadar, Omo, and West Turkana (Lewis, 2008).…”

“…Some lutrine femurs have been described from African Mio-Pliocene deposits (Lewis 2008, Peigné et al 2008, Geraads et al 2011, Valenciano and Govender 2020. Most of them are larger than the Senegalese specimen, such as Sivaonyx from Langebaanweg and Toros-Menalla (Peigné et al 2008, Valenciano andGovender 2020) and some bunodont lutrines from Hadar, Omo, and West Turkana (Lewis, 2008). There is a tendency of size increase during the Pliocene with the youngest specimens of the bunodont lineage being much larger (Geraads et al 2011).…”

New early late Miocene species of Vishnuonyx (Carnivora, Lutrinae) from the hominid locality of Hammerschmiede, Bavaria, Germany

“…Among them, the genera Vishnuonyx and Torolutra possess the lesser bunodont appearance on their cusps. Moreover, an array of different lifestyles has been suggested for these forms, ranging from terrestrial to semi-aquatic (Lewis, 2008;Peigné et al, 2008;Geraads et al, 2011;Werdelin and Lewis, 2017;Valenciano and Govender, 2020). The robustness of the mandibles and the enhancement of crushing cheek teeth in Djourabus, Enhydriodon, Enhydritherium and Sivaonyx, have been associated with a diet based on mollusks and crustaceans (Pickford, 2007;Lewis, 2008), whereas Geraads et al (2011) suggested that the large Enhydriodon dikikae Geraads, Alemseged, Bobe and Reed, 2011, was possibly able to consume even armored prey such as turtles, juvenile crocodiles, or ostrich eggs.…”