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| Pachypanthera piriyai de Bonis, Chaimanee, Grohé, Chavasseau, Mazurier, Suraprasit & Jaeger, 2023 |
Abstract
We describe two large predators from the hominoid-bearing Khorat sand pits, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, northeastern Thailand: a new genus of pantherine, Pachypanthera n. gen., represented by partial mandible and maxilla and an indeterminate sabre-toothed cat, represented by a fragment of upper canine. The morphological characters of Pachypanthera piriyai n. gen. n. sp., notably the large and powerful canine, the great robustness of the mandibular body, the very deep fossa for the m. masseter, the zigzag HSB enamel pattern, indicate bone-cracking capacities. The genus is unique among Felidae as it has one of the most powerful and robust mandibles ever found. Moreover, it may be the oldest known pantherine, as other Asian pantherines are dated back to the early Pliocene. The taxa we report here are the only carnivorans known from the late Miocene of Thailand. Although the material is rather scarce, it brings new insights to the evolutionary history of Neogene mammals of Southeast Asia, in a geographic place which is partly “terra incognita.”
Keywords: Asia, Felidae, New taxon, Bone cracking, Late Miocene, Sabre-toothed cat, Pantherine
Order Carnivora Bowdich, 1821
Sub-order Feliformia Kretzoi, 1945
Family Felidae Batsch, 1788
Sub-family Felinae Batsch, 1788
Pachypanthera n. gen.
Etymology: from the greek “Pachy” = thick.
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| Digital reconstruction of the mandible of Pachypanthera piriyai n. gen. n. sp. (a) in comparison with the mandible of Panthera leo (UPPal CAR-5-001) (b) in occlusal view. Scale bar = 20 mm |
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| Right maxilla of Pachypanthera piriyai n. gen. n. sp. (CUF-KR-2). a Occlusal view; b medial view; c lateral view (scale bar = 20 mm) |
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| Pachypanthera piriyai n. gen. n. sp., left hemi-mandible CUF-KR-1. a Occlusal view (stereopair); b inferior view; c lateral view; d medial view (scale bar = 20 mm) |
Pachypanthera piriyai n. sp
Origin of the name: in honor of Piriya Vachajitpan, who played a critical part in recovering the fossils.
Holotype (CUF-KR-1): left hemi-mandible with the alveoli for i1–i3, canine alveolus, remains of roots of p3, p4 and partially broken off m1 crown.
Locality: Khorat sand pit, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, northeastern Thailand
Age: late Miocene, 9 to 6 Ma.
L. de Bonis, Y. Chaimanee, C. Grohé, O. Chavasseau, A. Mazurier, K. Suraprasit and J.J. Jaeger. 2023. A new large pantherine and a sabre-toothed cat (Mammalia, Carnivora, Felidae) from the late Miocene hominoid-bearing Khorat sand pits, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, northeastern Thailand. The Science of Nature. 110, 42. DOI: 10.1007/s00114-023-01867-4
