Panthera blytheae: Difference between revisions

{{italic title}}{{Taxobox

| name = ''Palaeopanthera''

| image_caption = Life restoration of ''P. blytheae''

| regnum = [[Animal]]ia

| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]

| classis = [[Mammal]]ia

| ordo = [[Carnivora]]

| familia = [[Felidae]]

| genus = {{extinct}}'''''Palaeopanthera'''''

| genus_authority = Hemmer, 2023

| fossil_range = [[Tortonian]]-[[Zanclean]], {{fossil range|9.9|4.1}}

| synonyms = *''[[Felis]] pamiri'' <small>Ozansoy, 1959</small>

*''[[Miopanthera]] pamiri'' <small>Ozansoy, 1965</small>

*''[[Panthera]] blytheae'' <small>Tseng ''et al.'', 2014</small>

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision = *{{extinct}}''P. blytheae'' <small>(Tseng ''et al.'', 2014)</small>

*{{extinct}}''P. pamiri'' <small>(Ozansoy, 1965)</small>}}

'''''Palaeopanthera''''' is an extinct genus of [[Felidae|felids]] known from [[Pakistan]], [[Tibet]] and [[Turkey]] which lived during the [[Tortonian]]-[[Zanclean]] ages, around 9.9-4.1 million years ago. Two species are known, ''P. blytheae'' and ''P. pamiri'', which were initially classed as species of ''[[Panthera]]'' and ''[[Miopanthera]]'' respectively.

== Discovery and naming ==

=== ''P. blytheae'' ===

The holotype of ''P. blytheae'', specimen V18788.1, a single [[cranium]], was discovered on August 7, 2010 by J.L. in late [[Messinian]] to early [[Zanclean]]-aged rocks in the Zanda Basin, which is located in the [[Ngari Prefecture]] on the [[Tibetan Plateau]]; it was described and named by Tzeng ''et al.'' (2014) as a new species of ''[[Panthera]]''.<ref name="Tseng_al2014">{{cite journal |author1=Tseng, Z. J. |author2=Wang, X. |author3=Slater, G. J. |author4=Takeuchi, G. T. |author5=Li, Q. |author6=Liu, J. |author7=Xie, G. |date=2014 |title=Himalayan fossils of the oldest known pantherine establish ancient origin of big cats |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |volume=281 |issue=1774 |page=20132686 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2013.2686 |pmc=3843846 |pmid=24225466 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

=== ''P. pamiri'' ===

''P. pamiri'' was described by Ozansoy (1965) based on specimen UMR 7207, a snout fragment found in Turkey and was initially assigned to ''[[Felis]]'' by Ozansoy (1959) and later ''[[Miopanthera]]''. The locality at which it was found was estimated to be from the [[late Miocene]], about 9.9 Ma. After its original description, no further material was assigned to the species.<ref name="Ozansoy1965">{{cite journal |author1=Ozansoy, F. |year=1965 |title=Etude des gisements continentaux et des Mammifères du Cénozoïque de 9 Turquie |trans-title=Study of the continental deposits and mammals of the Cenozoic of Turkey |journal=Mém Soc géol Fr |language=French |volume=44 |pages=1–92}}</ref><ref name="Peigne2017">{{cite journal |author1=Geraads, Denis |author2=Peigné, Stéphane |year=2017 |title=Re-appraisal of 'Felis' pamiri Ozansoy 1959 (Carnivora, Felidae) from the upper Miocene of Turkey: the earliest pantherin cat? |url=https://hal.sorbonne-universite.fr/hal-01675275/document |journal=Journal of Mammalian Evolution |volume=24 |issue=4 |pages=415–425 |doi=10.1007/s10914-016-9349-6}}</ref>

In 2017, a review of the species ''Felis pamiri'' concluded that it was likely closely related to ''S. lorteti'', and reassigned both species to the genus ''Miopanthera''. The paper also noted that the species ''[[Panthera blytheae]]'', which had been described not long before, lacked features that assigned it specifically to the genus ''Panthera'', but that further examination of the material had the potential to clarify ''Miopanthera'''s relation to the modern pantherine (''Panthera'' and ''Neofelis'') cats.<ref name="Peigne2017" />

A 2020 study of newfound material from the [[Sivalik Hills]] in [[Pakistan]] suggested that ''M. pamiri'' be assigned to a new genus because it is younger, larger, and more derived.<ref>{{Cite journal |author1=Qigao Jiangzuo |author2=Danhui Sun |author3=John J. Flynn |year=2020 |title=Paleobiogeographic implications of additional Felidae (Carnivora, Mammalia) specimens from the Siwaliks |journal=Historical Biology |doi=10.1080/08912963.2020.1737683}}</ref>

=== New genus proposal ===

In 2023 it was proposed that ''P. blytheae'' be moved to a new genus, named ''Palaeopanthera'', along with ''[[Miopanthera]] pamiri'' to reflect their more primitive characteristics.<ref name="Hemmer20232">{{cite journal |last1=Hemmer |first1=H. |date=29 March 2023 |title=The evolution of the palaeopantherine cats, ''Palaeopanthera'' gen. nov. ''blytheae'' (Tseng et al., 2014) and ''Palaeopanthera pamiri'' (Ozansoy, 1959) comb. nov. (Mammalia, Carnivora, Felidae) |url= |journal=Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments |volume= |issue= |pages= |doi=10.1007/s12549-023-00571-5 |access-date=}}</ref> ''Palaeopanthera'' was named and described by Hemmer (2023).<ref name="Hemmer20232" />

== Description ==

Currently, only a single [[fossil]] specimen of a ''Palaeopanthera blytheae'' cranium has been found. However, current evidence shows that the species has a number of features common in other [[Felidae|felid]] genera, including a "frontoparietal [[Suture (anatomy)|suture]] located at the [[Post-orbital constriction|postorbital constriction]]", and an "absence of an anterior bulge overhanging the [[infraorbital canal]]". Its size is thought to be on par with that of the [[clouded leopard]]. It is about 10% smaller than the [[snow leopard]]. However, this is purely based on the relative sizes of the cranium, so this may be slightly inaccurate.<ref name="Tseng_al2014" />

''P. pamiri'', which is known only from fragmentary, though nicely intact, material from a single individual, is theorized to have been similar in size to a large lynx or a small puma.<ref name="Peigne2017" /> ''P. blytheae'' would have been of a similar size to ''P. pamiri''.<ref name="Hemmer20232" />

== Classification ==

Hemmer (2023) found ''Palaeopanthera'' to be the sister taxon to the extant genus ''[[Neofelis]]''.<ref name="Hemmer20232" />

== References ==

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