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| Dinofelis werdelini sp. nov., Lokotunjailurus chinsamyae sp. nov., Adeilosmilus aff. kabir Jiangzuo, Rabe, Abella, Govender & Valenciano, 2023 |
Highlights:
• Langebaanweg’s (LBW) sabertooth cat’s guild includes two new species
• Dinofelis from LBW is the potential ancestor of Plio-Pleistocene Dinofelis
• We confirm a Pan-African distribution of Adeilosmilus and Lokotunjailurus
• Comparison with Eurasian felid guild implies open environment at LBW
Summary
Here, we describe and revise craniodental material from Langebaanweg ‘E’ Quarry (South Africa, early Pliocene, ∼5.2 Ma), which represents one of the largest and best-preserved collections of sabertooth felids from Mio-Pliocene deposits of Africa. Four taxa, including two new species, are recognized: Lokotunjailurus chinsamyae sp. nov., Adeilosmilus aff. kabir, Yoshi obscura, and Dinofelis werdelini sp. nov. The felid guild composition analyzed herein suggests the presence of a mosaic environment with open components in the region, and shows a potential relationship with that of Yuanmou, suggesting a similar environment and/or dispersal route/event. The reassessment of the rich early Pliocene felids from Langebaanweg is a step toward understanding the transition and evolution of the felids in the southern hemisphere during the late Miocene to early Pliocene.
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| Upper canine of sabertoothed cat from from Langebaanweg ‘E’ Quarry (A) Dinofelis werdelini sp. nov., SAM-PQL20284; (B) Lokotunjailurus chinsamyae sp. nov., SAM-PQL20505; (C) Adeilosmilus aff. kabir, SAM-PQL11846. Scale bar equals 5 cm. |
Qigao Jiangzuo, Caitlin Rabe, Juan Abella, Romala Govender and Alberto Valenciano. 2023. Langebaanweg’s Sabertooth Guild reveals An African Pliocene Evolutionary Hotspot for Sabertooths (Carnivora; Felidae). iScience. 107212, In Press. DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107212
