Sivapanthera

<i>Sivapanthera</i>

Sivapanthera

Extinct genus of felid

Sivapanthera is a prehistoric genus of felid described by Kretzoi in 1929. Species of Sivapanthera are closely related to the modern cheetah but differ from modern cheetahs by having relatively longer brain cases, flatter foreheads, narrower nostrils and larger teeth. In many ways, skulls of Sivapanthera show similarity to that of the puma, or even those of Panthera. Scholars differ on the validity of this genus, while some think that it should be treated as a distinct genus, others think that its members should be treated as members of the Acinonyx genus, or even as subspecies of Acinonyx pardinensis.

Quick Facts Scientific classification, Type species ...

History of taxonomy

In 1884, Lydekker described two rami from the Pinjor Formation as Felis (?Cynaelurus) brachygnatha.[1] And later in 1925, Zdansky described Cynailurus pleistocaenicus based on fossils from Shansi, China.[2]

In 1929, Hungarian palaeontologist Miklos Kretzoi described several new genera and species: in one paper he re-assigned Felis (Cynaelurus) brachygnatha as Acinonyx brachygnathus, re-described one of its two referred specimens as the new genus and species Sivapanthera lydekkeri;[3] then in a second paper, he described the genus Abacinonyx for Cynailurus pleistocaenicus (the type species) and Felis (Cynaelurus) brachygnathus.[4]

Also in 1929, American paleontologist W. D. Matthews made a review of Siwalik mammals in which he considered Cynailurus pleistoceanicus a junior synonym of Felis brachygnatha, which was also very similar to Felis arvernensis.[5]

Guy Ellcock Pilgrim, in 1932, described a new genus Sivafelis, with the new species Sivafelis potens as the type species and including Felis (?Cynaelurus) brachygnatha (=Sivafelis brachygnathus, and including Sivapanthera lydekkeri as a synonym) and Cynailurus pleistocaenicus (=Sivafelis pleistocaenicus). He admitted that both Abacinonyx and Sivapanthera were older, but stated that the confusion around the type species- Sivapanthera was the senior-most name but its type species was a junior synonym of Abacinonyx' type- compelled him to name a new genus.[6] Colbert Edwin, in his review of Siwalik mammals, followed Pilgrim's assignment of Sivafelis brachygnathus and Sivafelis potens.[7] But Simpson in 1945 noted that Sivapanthera was the senior and thus correct name for the genus, rendering Sivafelis and Abacinonyx junior synonyms.[8]

A fourth species, Sivapanthera linxiaensis from Early Pleistocene deposits in China's Dongxiang Autonomous County, was described in 2004.[9]

The status of Sivapanthera species is unresolved, with some researchers considering them all junior synonyms of Acinonyx pardinensis, subspecies of A. pardinensis, species in the genus Acinonyx, or belonging to the genus Sivapanthera is various states of synonymy with each other.[10][11] One paper has suggested in passing that S. potens is a synonym of S. brachygnathus,[12] while another paper stated that "S." potens was unlikely to belong to the same genus and was, in fact, more similar to Panthera uncia and Panthera onca.[13] In 2024, S. pleistocaenicus has been reclassified as a new species of Acinonyx.[14]

References

  1. [1]
    Lydekker, R. (1884). "Siwalik and Narbada Carnivora". Palaeontologia Indica. 2: 178–351.
  2. [2]
    Zdansky, O. (1925). "Quartare Carnivoren aus Nord-China". Palæontologia Sinica, ser. C, v. 2, fasc. 2. Geological Survey of China: 23.
  3. [3]
    Kretzoi, M. (1929). "Materialien zur phylogenetischen Klassifikation der Ailuroïden". In Csiki, E. (ed.). Xe Congrès international de zoologie, tenu à Budapest du 4 au 10 septembre 1927. Volume 2. Budapest: Imprimerie Stephaneus. pp. 1293–1355.
  4. [4]
    Kretzoi, Miklos (1929). "Feliden–studien [Felida-tanulmányok. II. Aeluroidea közlemény]" (PDF). Földtani Intézet Házinyomdája (in Hungarian). 24: 15.
  5. [5]
    Matthew, W. D. (1929). "Critical Observations upon Siwalik Mammals". Bulletin American Museum of Natural History. LVI: 494–495. hdl:2246/1325.
  6. [6]
    Pilgrim, G. E. (1932). "The fossil Carnivora of India". Palaeontologia Indica. New Series. 18: 199–203.
  7. [7]
    Colbert, Edwin H. (1935). "Siwalik Mammals in the American Museum of Natural History". Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. 26: 1123–124. doi:10.2307/1005467. JSTOR 1005467.
  8. [8]
    Simpson, G. G. (1945). "The principles of classification and classification of mammals". Bulletin American Museum of Natural History. 85: 1–350.
  9. [9]
    Qiu, Z.; Deng, T.; Wang, B. (2004). "Early Pleistocene Mammalian fauna from Longdan, Dongxiang, Gansu, China" (PDF). Palaeontologia Sinica, New Series C. 191 (27): 1–198.
  10. [10]
    Tong, Haowen; Zhang, Bei; Chen, Xi; Jiangzuo, Qigao; Liu, Jinyi; Wang, Xiaoming (2023). "New carnivoran remains from the Early Pleistocene Shanshenmiaozui site in Nihewan Basin, northern China". Quaternary International. 658: 60–79. Bibcode:2023QuInt.658...60T. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2023.04.003. S2CID 258306072.
  11. [11]
    Cherin, Marco; Iurino, Dawid Adam; Sardella, Raffaele; Rook, Lorenzo (2014). "Acinonyx pardinensis (Carnivora, Felidae) from the Early Pleistocene of Pantalla (Italy): Predatory behavior and ecological role of the giant Plio–Pleistocene cheetah". Quaternary Science Reviews. 87: 82–97. Bibcode:2014QSRv...87...82C. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2014.01.004.
  12. [12]
    Jiangzuo, Qigao; Liu, Jinyi (2020). "First record of the Eurasian jaguar in southern Asia and a review of dental differences between pantherine cats". Journal of Quaternary Science. 35 (6): 817–830. Bibcode:2020JQS....35..817J. doi:10.1002/jqs.3222. S2CID 219914902.
  13. [13]
    Olive, Florence (2006). "Évolution des grands Carnivores au Plio Pléistocène en Afrique et en Europe occidentale". L'Anthropologie. 110 (5): 850–869. doi:10.1016/j.anthro.2006.10.005.
  14. [14]
    Jiangzuo, Q.; Wang, Y.; Madurell-Malapeira, J.; Bartolini Lucenti, S.; Li, S.; Wang, S.; Li, Z.; Yang, R.; Jia, Y.; Zhang, L.; Chen, S.; Jin, C.; Wang, Y.; Liu, J. (2024). "Massive early Middle Pleistocene cheetah from eastern Asia shed light onto the evolution of Acinonyx in Eurasia". Quaternary Science Reviews. 332. 108661. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108661.
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