Pseudaelurus

Taxobox
name = "Pseudaelurus"
fossil_range = Early to Late Miocene
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
ordo = Carnivora
familia = Felidae
genus = "Pseudaelurus"
genus_authority = Gervais, 1850
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =
* "P. aeluroides" Macdonald, 1954
* "P. cuspidatus" Wang et al., 1998
* "P. guangheensis" Cao et al., 1990
* "P. intrepidus" (Leidy, 1858)
* "P. lorteti" Gaillard, 1899
* "P. marshi" Thorpe, 1922
* "P. quadridentatus" Blainville, 1843
* "P. romieviensis" Roman-Viret, 1934
* "P. skinneri" Rothwell, 2003
* "P. stouti" (Schultz & Martin, 1972)
* "P. turnauensis"Hoernes, 1882
* "P. validus" Rothwell, 2001

"Pseudaelurus" is a prehistoric cat that lived in Europe, Asia and North America in the Miocene approximately 20-8 million years ago. It is an ancestor of today's felines and pantherines as well as the extinct machairodont saber-tooths, and is a successor to "Proailurus". It originated from Eurasia and was the first felid to reach North America, when it entered the continent at about 18.5 m.y ending a 'cat-gap' of 7 million years [Tedford et al. 1987] [Rothwell 2003] . The slender proportions of the animal, together with its short, viverrid-like legs, suggest that it may have been an agile climber of trees [Turner 1997] .

pecies and distribution

Europe

The first and most primitive species "Pseudaelurus turnauensis" (="Pseudaelurus transitorius") from the early Miocene was about the size of a domestic cat and probably evolved directly from the Oligocene "Proailurus". The European "Pseudaelurus turnauensis" gave rise to additional species. "Pseudaelurus lorteti" was lynx-sized and the even larger "Pseudaelurus quadridentatus" weighed about 30 kg and was approximately the size of a cougar. The latter showed a trend towards slightly enlarged upper canines, indicating that it gave rise to the later saber-toothed machairodontines. Unexpectedly, the early "Pseudaelurus turnauensis" survived until 8 million years ago, at which time it is recorded in Germany, whereas the more derived "Pseudaelurus lorteti" and "Pseudaelurus quadridentatus" died out 2 million years earlier [Augusti 2002] . A fourth European species is described as "Pseudaelurus romieviensis", smaller than "P. quadridentatus" but larger than "P. lorteti" [Rothwell 2003] .

Africa and Asia

"P. turnauensis" is also recorded from the early Miocene Africa (Saudi Arabia). "P. lorteti" is also recognized from the middle Miocene of Asia (Jiangsu, China), where two additional species, "Pseudaelurus guangheensis" from the middle Miocene of Gansu (China) and "Pseudaelurus cuspidatus" from the middle Miocene of Xinjiang (China) are reported [Rothwell 2003] .

North America

"Pseudaelurus intrepidus" from the Early to Late Barstovian of North America was a relatively large species, overlapping in size with the European "P. quadridentatus". A second large North American species from the Early and Late Barstovian was "Pseudaelurus marshi". "Pseudaelurus stouti" (originally described as "Lynx stouti") also from the Early and Late Barstovian was a very small and slender from of the genus. "Pseudaelurus aeluroides" with only a type specimen from Early Barstovian from Nebraska is not well studied, but may be conspecific with "P. marshi". A species "Pseudaelurus validus", from the late Hemingfordian of New Mexico was described in 2001. This species overlaps in size with "P. intrepidus", "P. marshi" and "P. quadridentatus" [Rothwell 2001] . Recently (2003) an additional North American species "Pseudaelurus skinneri" from the Late Hemingfordian of Nebraska was described. This species is smaller than "P. validus" and overlaps in size with the eurasian species "P. lorteti", "P. cuspidatus" and "p. guangheensis" [Rothwell 2003] .

Notes

References

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* cite journal | last = Rothwell | first = Tom | title = A partial skeleton of Pseudaelurus (Carnivora, Felidae) from the Nambé Member of the Tesuque Formation, Española Basin, New Mexico | journal = American Museum Novitates | volume = 3342 | pages = 1–31 | date = 2001 [http://hdl.handle.net/2246/2895| uri:http://hdl.handle.net/2246/2895] .
* cite journal | last = Rothwell | first = Tom | title = Phylogenetic Systematics of North American "Pseudaelurus" (Carnivora: Felidae) | journal = American Museum Novitates | volume = 2403 | pages = 1–64 | date = 2003 | doi = 10.1206/0003-0082(2003)403<0001:PSONAP>2.0.CO;2
* Tedford, R. H.; Galusha, T.; Skinner, M. F.; Taylor, B. E.; Fields, R. W.; Macdonald, J. R.; Rensberger, J. M.; Webb, S. D.; and Whistler, D.P. (1987). "Faunal succession and biochronology of the Arikareean through Hemphillian interval (late Oligocene through earliest Pliocene epochs) in North America". in Woodburne, M. O. "Cenozoic mammals of North America: Geochronology and biostratigraphy". Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 153–210. ISBN 0-520-05392-3.
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External links

* [http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=41072&is_real_user=0|"Pseudaelurus" at the Paleobiology Database]