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| Taotienimravus songi Jiangzuo, Lyras, Grohe, Werdelin, Niu, Huang, Li, Jiang, Fu, Wan, Liu, Wang & Deng, 2025 Artwork by Yuefeng Song. |
Abstract
Here, we describe a new ecomorph of Nimravidae, Taotienimravus songi gen. et sp. nov., from the middle Oligocene of eastern Asia. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that the new species is closely related to Nimravus and Dinaelurus, and it represents a non-sabertooth ecomorph form with initial bone-cracking adaptation—a unique form among Nimravidae. An increase in body size among Nimravidae appears to have coincided with the demise of Oxyaenidae, another carnivorous clade in the Palaeogene. The initial emergence of macrocarnivorous adaptation of Carnivora by a felid-like ecomorph probably reflects competition dynamics. Nimravidae successfully occupied several ecological niches that were not exploited by Felidae, probably owing to the lack of competition within Carnivora during much of their evolutionary history. Our study underscores the role of both abiotic and biotic factors in shaping niche availability for these animals, emphasizing the need for discussions on niche change and evolution to be grounded in these considerations.
Keywords: eastern Asia, Oligocene, Taotienimravus, niche, sabertooth
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| Life reconstruction of Taotienimravus songi gen. et sp. nov. in Chinese painting style. Artwork by Yuefeng Song. |
Mammalia Linnaeus 1758
Carnivora Bowdich 1821
Nimravidae Cope 1880
Nimravinae Cope 1880
Taotienimravus songi gen. et sp. nov.
Etymology: the generic name prefix Taotie is a fierce beast in ancient Chinese legend, referring to the large and robust
dentition of the animal; the species name is in honour of the collector of the fossil specimen, Yuefeng Song, who donated the
specimen to Yingliang Stone Natural History Museum and made it available for scientific research.
Distribution and age: so far only known from the Qingshuiying Formation, Ningxia, northern China, late Early or early Late
Oligocene, representing one of the youngest members of the subfamily Nimravinae.
Qigao Jiangzuo; Georgios Lyras; Camille Grohe; Lars Werdelin ; Kecheng Niu; Dongting Huang; Shijie Li; Hao Jiang; Jiao Fu; Yang Wan; Jinyi Liu; Shi-Qi Wang and Tao Deng. 2025. A New ecomorph of Nimravidae, and the early Macrocarnivorous Niche Exploration in Carnivora. Proc Biol Sci. 292 (2059): 20251686. DOI: doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2025.1686 [26 Nov 2025]
