Leptofelis: Difference between revisions
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[[Category:Prehistoric felines]] |
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[[Category:Miocene carnivorans]] |
[[Category:Miocene carnivorans]] |
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[[Category:Miocene genus extinctions]] |
[[Category:Miocene genus extinctions]] |
Revision as of 23:19, 24 August 2018
Leptofelis Temporal range:
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Skull from Batallones 1 fossil site | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Suborder: | Feliformia |
Family: | Felidae |
Subfamily: | Felinae |
Genus: | †Leptofelis Salesa et al., 2017 |
Type species | |
Styriofelis vallesiensis Salesa et al., 2012
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Leptofelis (meaning "swift cat") is a genus of feline carnivoran from the Miocene (Vallesian) deposits of Cerro de los Batallones, in Spain. A small species known from a jaw, forelimb, hindlimb, and lumbar vertebrae, Leptofelis has characteristics intermediate between less specialized species and modern felines.[1]
Description
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2017) |
Leptofelis had long and slender legs. Its body mass is estimated to be between 7.21–9.02 kg (15.9–19.9 lb). The metacarpals are more robust than most cursorial cats, while being more gracile than more arboreal cats. The vertebrae share many characteristics with modern cat species such as the lynx, caracal, and serval.[1]
Discovery and naming
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2017) |
The type specimen of Leptofelis consists of incomplete skeletal remains: a lower jaw, left forelimb (humerus, radius, ulna, and metacarpals, four lumbar vertebrae, a left hindlimb (femur, tibia, talus, and calcaneus), and sacrum.[1]
Classification
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2017) |
The species was once considered to belong to the genus Styriofelis, but was shown to belong to a distinct genus in 2017. Its adaptations towards a cursorial lifestyle show that the lifestyle of ground-living cat species evolved convergently several times.[1]
Paleobiology
Leptofelis was likely similar in behavior to the modern serval or caracal. Both modern cats are hunters of small prey, with a preference for hunting on the ground. Given the highly variable environment in which it lived, Leptofelis may also have climbed both to escape larger predators and pursue small prey up into trees. Such prey items that it would have hunted would have included rodents and small birds, which it would have hunted by ambush.[1]
Paleoecology
Leptofelis seemed to prefer open woodland habitat, as evidenced by finds at Cerro de los Batallones. As a predator at Batallones, it would have hunted small rodents, birds and other easily subdued animals. This cat was contemporaneous with such herbivores as horses like Hipparion, the hornless rhinoceros Aceratherium, the gomphotherid mastodon Tetralophodon, the suid Microstonyx, silvatherid giraffes and boselaphine antelope. Leptofelis was also contemporary with the Amphicyonid Magericyon, machairodonts Machairodus, Promegantereon, and Paramachairodus, the bear Indarctos, and the small hyenid Protictitherium. All these carnivores were competition and with smaller animals like Protictitherium, it would have competed directly against it. The larger carnivores were avoided, either by escaping up trees or through evasion and stealth.[2] The environment of Batallones was a highly variable habitat, with scattered vegetation throughout open areas of grassland. These areas would provide both the necessary protection and ambush sites necessary to hunt successfully.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Salesa, M.J.; Siliceo, G.; Antón, M.; Peigné, S.; Morales, J. (2017). "Functional and Systematic Implications of the Postcranial Anatomy of a Late Miocene Feline (Carnivora, Felidae) from Batallones-1 (Madrid, Spain)". Journal of Mammalian Evolution: 1–31. doi:10.1007/s10914-017-9414-9.
- ^ Antón, M. (2013). Sabertooth. Bloomington, Indiana: University of Indiana Press. p. 52. ISBN 9780253010421.