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Pachypanthera
''Pachypanthera'' is an extinct genus of pantherine felid (big cat) that was recovered from the Late Miocene-aged Khorat sand pits in northeastern Thailand. It contains a single species, ''Pachypanthera piriyai'', named and described in 2023. Discovery and naming Both the holotype and paratype were discovered in the Khorat sand pits in the Nakhon Ratchasima province of northeastern Thailand. This locality was dated to the Late Miocene, some 9 to 6 million years ago. The fossils were collected by a local amateur, described and named in 2023, and afterwards stored at the geological department of the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. The genus name ''Pachypanthera'' is a combination of the Greek / meaning "thick" and ''Panthera''. The specific name ''piriyai'' honors Piriya Vachajitpan, who contributed significantly to fossil collection. Description The recovered remains of this genus are unusually robust compared to other felids. The holotype (CUF-KR-1) comprises the left h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2023 In Paleomammalogy
This article records new taxa of fossil mammals of every kind binomial nomenclature, described during the year 2023, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to paleontology of mammals which occurred in 2023. Afrotherians Proboscideans Proboscidean research * Review of the systematics and evolutionary history of African proboscideans is published by William J. Sanders, Sanders (2023). * A study on the evolution of teeth of proboscideans from East Africa over the past 26 million years is published by Saarinen & Lister (2023), who find evidence of ratchet-like mode of evolution, with periods of rapid increase in hypsodonty and Molar (tooth)#Lophodont, loph count (probably related to episodes of increase of aridity) alternating with longer periods of relative stasis rather than reversal of these traits. * Choudhary ''et al.'' (2023) report the first discovery of the fossil material of a Mammutidae, mammutid (cf. ''Zygolophodon'') from the Upper Miocene deposits ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pantherinae
The Pantherinae is a subfamily of the Felidae; it was named and first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1917 as only including the ''Panthera'' species, but later also came to include the clouded leopards (genus ''Neofelis''). The Pantherinae genetically diverged from a common ancestor between and . Characteristics Pantherinae species are characterised by an imperfectly ossified hyoid bone with elastic tendons that enable their larynx to be mobile. They have a flat rhinarium that only barely reaches the dorsal side of the nose. The area between the nostrils is narrow, and not extended sidewards as in the Felinae. The ''Panthera'' species have a single, rounded, vocal fold with a thick mucosal lining, a large vocalis muscle, and a large cricothyroid muscle with long and narrow membranes. A vocal fold that is longer than enables all but the snow leopard among them to roar, as it has shorter vocal folds of that provide a lower resistance to airflow; this distinction w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern marine invertebrates than the Pliocene has. The Miocene followed the Oligocene and preceded the Pliocene. As Earth went from the Oligocene through the Miocene and into the Pliocene, the climate slowly cooled towards a series of ice ages. The Miocene boundaries are not marked by distinct global events but by regionally defined transitions from the warmer Oligocene to the cooler Pliocene Epoch. During the Early Miocene, Afro-Arabia collided with Eurasia, severing the connection between the Mediterranean and Indian Oceans, and allowing the interchange of fauna between Eurasia and Africa, including the dispersal of proboscideans and Ape, hominoids into Eurasia. During the late Miocene, the conn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Proboscidea
Proboscidea (; , ) is a taxonomic order of afrotherian mammals containing one living family (Elephantidae) and several extinct families. First described by J. Illiger in 1811, it encompasses the elephants and their close relatives. Three living species of elephant are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. Extinct members of Proboscidea include the deinotheres, mastodons, gomphotheres and stegodonts. The family Elephantidae also contains several extinct groups, including mammoths and '' Palaeoloxodon''. Proboscideans include some of the largest known land mammals, with the elephant '' Palaeoloxodon namadicus'' and mastodon ''"Mammut" borsoni'' suggested to have body masses surpassing , rivalling or exceeding paraceratheres (the otherwise largest known land mammals) in size. The largest extant proboscidean is the African bush elephant, with a world record of size of at the shoulder and . In addition to thei ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bovid
The Bovidae comprise the family (biology), biological family of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals that includes Bos, cattle, bison, Bubalina, buffalo, antelopes (including Caprinae, goat-antelopes), Ovis, sheep and Capra (genus), goats. A member of this family is called a bovid. With 143 Extant taxon, extant species and 300 known Extinction, extinct species, the family Bovidae consists of 11 (or two) major subfamilies and thirteen major tribes. The family evolved 20 million years ago, in the early Miocene. The bovids show great variation in size and Fur, pelage colouration. Except some Polled livestock, domesticated forms, all male bovids have two or more horn (anatomy), horns, and in many species, females possess horns, too. The size and shape of the horns vary greatly, but the basic structure is always one or more pairs of simple bony protrusions without branches, often having a spiral, twisted or fluted form, each covered in a permanent sheath of keratin. Most bovids bear 30 to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giraffid
The Giraffidae are a family of ruminant artiodactyl mammals that share a recent common ancestor with deer and bovids. This family, once a diverse group spread throughout Eurasia and Africa, presently comprises only two extant genera, the giraffe (between one and eight, usually four, species of ''Giraffa'', depending on taxonomic interpretation) and the okapi (the only known species of '' Okapia''). Both are confined to sub-Saharan Africa: the giraffe to the open savannas, and the okapi to the dense rainforest of the Congo. The two genera look very different on first sight, but share a number of common features, including a long, dark-coloured tongue, lobed canine teeth, and horns covered in skin, called ossicones. Taxonomy Evolutionary background The giraffids are ruminants of the clade Pecora. Other extant pecorans are the families Antilocapridae (pronghorns), Cervidae (deer), Moschidae (musk deer), and Bovidae (cattle, goats and sheep, wildebeests and allies, and antelop ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anthracothere
Anthracotheriidae is a paraphyletic family of extinct, hippopotamus-like artiodactyl ungulates related to hippopotamuses and whales. The oldest genus, '' Elomeryx'', first appeared during the middle Eocene in Asia. They thrived in Africa and Eurasia, with a few species ultimately entering North America during the Oligocene. They died out in Europe and Africa during the Miocene, possibly due to a combination of climatic changes and competition with other artiodactyls, including pigs and hippopotamuses. The youngest genus, ''Merycopotamus'', died out in Asia during the late Pliocene, possibly for the same reasons. The family is named after the first genus discovered, '' Anthracotherium'', which means "coal beast", as the first fossils of it were found in Paleogene-aged coal beds in France. Fossil remains of the anthracothere genus were discovered by the Harvard University and Geological Survey of Pakistan joint research project (Y-GSP) in the well-dated middle and late Miocene deposi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Suidae
Suidae is a family (biology), family of Even-toed ungulate, artiodactyl mammals which are commonly called pigs, hogs, or swine. In addition to numerous fossil species, 18 Extant taxon, extant species are currently recognized (or 19 counting domestic pigs and wild boars separately), classified into between four and eight genera. Within this family, the genus ''Sus'' includes the domestic pig, ''Sus scrofa domesticus'' or ''Sus domesticus'', and many species of wild pig from Europe to the Pacific. Other genera include babirusas and warthogs. All suids, or swine, are native to the Old World, ranging from Asia to Europe and Africa. The earliest fossil suids date from the Oligocene epoch in Asia, and their descendants reached Europe during the Miocene. Several fossil species are known and show adaptations to a wide range of different diets, from strict herbivory to possible carrion-eating (in Tetraconodontinae). Physical characteristics Suids belong to the order (biology), order Artio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhinocerotidae
A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), family Rhinocerotidae; it can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species of the superfamily Rhinocerotoidea. Two of the extant species are native to Africa, and three to South Asia, South and Southeast Asia. Rhinoceroses are some of the largest remaining megafauna: all weigh over half a tonne in adulthood. They have a herbivore, herbivorous diet, small brains for mammals of their size, one or two horns, and a thick , protective skin formed from layers of collagen positioned in a crystal structure, lattice structure. They generally eat leafy material, although their ability to ferment food in their colon (anatomy), hindgut allows them to subsist on more fibrous plant matter when necessary. Unlike other perissodactyls, the two African ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Khoratpithecus
''Khoratpithecus'' is an extinct genus of pongin primates that lived during the late Miocene (7–9 million years ago) in Myanmar and Thailand. Three species belong to this genus: *''Khoratpithecus chiangmuanensis'' from Thailand (Chaimanee, Jolly, Benammi, Tafforeau, Duzer, Moussa & Jaeger, 2003) (formerly ''Lufengpithecus chiangmuanensis'') *''Khoratpithecus piriyai'' from Thailand Chaimanee, Suteethorn, Jintasakul, Vidthayanon, Marandat & Jaeger, 2004 *''Khoratpithecus ayeyarwadyensis'' from Myanmar Jaeger, Soe, Chavasseau, Coster, Emonet, Guy, Lebrun, Maung, Shwe, Tun, Oo, Rugbumrung, Bocherens, Benammi, Chaivanich, Tafforeau & Chaimanee, 2011 See also *''Lufengpithecus ''Lufengpithecus'' () is an Extinction, extinct genus of ape, known from the Late Miocene of East Asia. It is known from thousands of Dental anatomy, dental remains and a few skulls and probably weighed about . It contains three species: ''L. luf ...'' *'' Griphopithecus'' *'' Sivapithecus'' References ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Durophagous
Durophagy is the eating behavior of animals that consume hard-shelled or exoskeleton-bearing organisms, such as corals, shelled mollusks, or crabs. It is mostly used to describe fish, but is also used when describing reptiles, including fossil turtles, placodonts and invertebrates, as well as "bone-crushing" mammalian carnivores such as hyenas. Durophagy requires special adaptions, such as blunt, strong teeth and a heavy jaw. Bite force is necessary to overcome the physical constraints of consuming more durable prey and gain a competitive advantage over other organisms by gaining access to more diverse or exclusive food resources earlier in life. Those with greater bite forces require less time to consume certain prey items as a greater bite force can increase the net rate of energy intake when foraging and enhance fitness in durophagous species. In the order Carnivora there are two dietary categories of durophagy; bonecrackers and bamboo eaters. Bonecrackers are exemplified by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miopanthera
''Miopanthera'' is an extinct genus of '' Pseudaelurus''-grade felids. Taxonomy The genus ''Miopanthera'' was first proposed in 1938 by Kretzoi for the species ''Pseudaelurus lorteti''. ''P. lorteti'' had previously been described as such in 1899, upon the discovery of fossils in Europe. However, Kretzoi's proposal was largely ignored by later authors. A 2010 review of the Felidae proposed splitting the genus ''Pseudaelurus'' in three, and suggested assigning ''P. lorteti'' to the genus ''Styriofelis'' alongside ''P. turnauensis''. Another species, ''Felis pamiri'', was described in 1965 based on a snout fragment found in Turkey. The locality at which it was found was estimated to be from the late Miocene, about 9.9 Ma. After its original description, no further material was assigned to the species. In 2017, a review of the species ''Felis pamiri'' concluded that it was likely closely related to ''S. lorteti'', and reassigned both species to the genus ''Miopanthera''. The paper ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
