European Jaguar

Taxobox
name = European Jaguar
fossil_range = Early to Middle Pleistocene
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
ordo = Carnivora
familia = Felidae
genus = "Panthera"
species = "P. gombaszoegensis"
binomial = "Panthera gombaszoegensis"
binomial_authority = Kretzoi, 1938

The European jaguar ("Panthera (onca) gombaszoegensis") lived about 1.5 million years ago, and is the earliest known "Panthera"-species from Europe. Fossil remains were first known from the Olivola site in Italy and under the synonym "Panthera toscana" from other Italian localities. Later specimens have been found in England, Germany, Spain, France, and the Netherlands. Sometimes it is recognized as a subspecies of "Panthera onca", the jaguarHemmer, H & R.-D. Kahlke. 2005. Nachweis des Jaguars ("Panthera onca gombaszoegensis") aus dem späten Unter- oder frühen Mittelpleistozän der Niederlande. Deinsea, Annual of the Natural History Museum Rotterdam. P. 47-57. ( [http://www.nmr.nl/DSA11Hem.pdf Full text pdf] )] .

European jaguars were larger than those found in South America, and were therefore probably capable of bringing down larger prey. A form similar to "Panthera gombaszoegensis" has been found dating from early Pleistocene East Africa and had both lion- and tiger-like characters.

The European jaguar was probably a solitary animal. It has often been thought to be a forest-dwelling cat, with similar habits to the modern jaguar, although recent work suggests that the association between the European jaguar and forested habitats is not as strong as has often been assumed.O'Regan, H.J., A. Turner & D.M. 2002. Wilkinson. European Quaternary refugia: a factor in large carnivore extinction? Journal of Quaternary Science 17(8) 789–795. ( [http://www.staff.livjm.ac.uk/biedwilk/pdfs/jqs.pdf Full text pdf] )]

Literature

* A. Turner: "The big cats and their fossil relatives". Columbia University Press, 1997.ISBN 0-231-10229-1

References