Puma incurva
| Puma incurva Temporal range: Early Pleistocene ~ | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Placentalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Felidae |
| Genus: | Puma |
| Species: | †P. incurva |
| Binomial name | |
| †Puma incurva (Ewer, 1956) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Panthera pardus incurva Ewer, 1956 | |
Puma incurva is an extinct species in genus Puma. It was described based on fossils from the Early Pleistocene-aged Swartkrans site in South Africa.[1]
Taxonomy & evolution
[edit]Puma incurva was initially described in 1956 as an extinct subspecies of leopard under the name Panthera pardus incurva.[2] It was generally accepted under that name until a review of the material in 2023 noted that, while certain features of the fossils were unusual for a leopard, they were much more similar to members of the genus Puma, and reassigned the subspecies to that genus as a full genus. It is hypothesized that P. incurva may have been the result of hybridization between Puma and Panthera (such as leopards). Material includes a nearly complete but badly crushed skull.[1]
Description
[edit]Puma incurva was a leopard-sized cat. The skull is mostly Puma-like, but the upper carnassial is Panthera-like.[1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Hemmer, Helmut (2023). "The identity of the "lion", Panthera principialis sp. nov., from the Pliocene Tanzanian site of Laetoli and its significance for molecular dating the pantherine phylogeny, with remarks on Panthera shawi (Broom, 1948), and a revision of Puma incurva (Ewer, 1956), the Early Pleistocene Swartkrans "leopard" (Carnivora, Felidae)". Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments. 103 (2): 465–487. doi:10.1007/s12549-022-00542-2.
- ↑ Ewer, R. (1956). "The fossil carnivora of the Transvaal Caves: Felinae". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 126: 83–95. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1956.tb00426.x.