Dinaelurus

Dinaelurus
Dinaelurus
Temporal range: Late Eocene–Late Miocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Nimravidae
Genus: Dinaelurus
Species: D. crassus
Binomial name
Dinaelurus crassus

Dinaelurus is an extinct genus of the family Nimravidae, endemic to North America during the Eocene-Oligocene epochs (30.8—20.6 mya), existing for approximately 10.2 million years.[1]

It is believed that Dinaelurus was a cursorial predator meaning it ran down its prey. This is suggested by the nimravid's short face and large nostril, similar to a cheetah which is also a cursorial predator.

Contents

Taxonomy

Dinaelurus was named by Eaton (1922). Its type is Dinaelurus crassus. It was assigned to Nimravinae by Flynn and Galiano (1982) and Bryant (1991); and to Nimravidae by Eaton (1922) and Martin (1998).[2][3]

In popular culture

Dinaelurus crassus is the ancestor of the fictional species, Dinaelurus illumina sapiens, in the Ratha or "Named" series by author Clare Bell.

Fossil distribution

One specimen found in the John Day Formation in Oregon and was described by Eaton in 1922.

Sources

  1. ^ PaleoBiology Database: Dinaelurus, basic info
  2. ^ J. J. Flynn and H. Galiano. 1982. Phylogeny of early Tertiary Carnivora, with a description of a new species of Protictis from the middle Eocene of northwestern Wyoming. American Museum Novitates
  3. ^ L. D. Martin. 1998. Nimravidae. In C. M. Janis, K. M. Scott, and L. L. Jacobs (eds.), Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America
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