[Mammalogy • 2026] Phylogenomics and Museomics reveal Five distinct Species of Tiger Cats (Carnivora: Felidae: Leopardus) in South America

 

Leopardus tilcayo  Nogales-Ascarrunz, Aliaga-Rossel, Lescroart & Eizirik, 

in Lescroart, Nogales-Ascarrunz, Cassatt-Johnstone, Bonilla-Sánchez, ... et Eizirik, 2026. 

DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2026.08.059

Highlights: 

• First discovery of a novel cat species in over a century: Leopardus tilcayo

• Description of a novel cat subspecies: Leopardus tigrinus antisuyo

• Phylogenomic resolution of the tiger cat complex, revealing five distinct species

• Museomics and novel approaches to assess evolutionary history and genomic diversity

Summary

The evolutionary history of elusive organisms can be characterized through genomic analyses, which have the power to reveal previously unknown taxa even in groups assumed to be well studied, such as cats. We have analyzed complete genomes of 38 individuals from the Neotropical cat genus Leopardus, including 26 individuals representing multiple evolutionary units of the contentious tiger cat (Leopardus tigrinus) species complex. Eight genomes were generated from museum specimens, which allowed the first genetic assessment of the type locality for L. tigrinus in the Guiana Shield. We found that this complex comprises five distinct species, including a novel cat species, discovered in the Bolivian Yungas and described in this study as L. tilcayo. The Peruvian Yungas unit of this complex also represents a distinct taxonomic entity, which we describe here as a novel subspecies, L. tigrinus antisuyo. Our phylogenomic analyses resolve the evolutionary relationships among the tiger cat geographic units, thus stabilizing their recalcitrant taxonomy and enabling adequate conservation assessment of these threatened felids. We also address other aspects of their evolution, including biogeography, past episodes of interspecies admixture, demographic history of each taxonomic unit, and temporal changes in genetic diversity. Altogether, our results clarify the evolutionary history of a complex radiation of wild cats, reveal novel taxa, and serve as a basis for conservation planning on behalf of these elusive wild cats.

 

Keywords: Bolivian Yungas, Peruvian Yungas, Felidae, Guiana Shield, historic DNA, Leopardus, museomics, concordance vector, new species, tilcayo

 

Live specimen of Leopardus tilcayo (sample ID: L. tilcayo BOl-2, voucher ID: MNHN-L2), a newly described tiger cat species from the Bolivian Yungas.

Photo by Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz

 

Family Felidae Batsch, 1788 

Subfamily Felinae Batsch, 1788 

 Leopardus Gray, 1842

Leopardus tilcayo sp. nov. Nogales-Ascarrunz, Aliaga-Rossel, Lescroart & Eizirik 

Type material: Holotype: CBF-11990, adult male. Live-captured and held in captivity, genome sequences NCBI SRA accession SRX30196846. Date: 09-2021; collectors: E. Aliaga-Rosel and P. Nogales-Ascarrunz (see Data S1).

Type locality: La Paz, Nor Yungas, near Arapata village (1,570 m above sea level [a.s.l.]), Bolivia. Coordinates: −16.248594, −67.634691 (WGS84).

Etymology: This species is named after the local name “tilcayo” used for this felid, which is widely known in the Bolivian Yungas zone. The name is treated as an unchanged noun in apposition.

Vernacular name: We propose “tilcayo” as the English common name, preserving the traditional local designation in recognition of its cultural and regional relevance.

Diagnosis: Leopardus tilcayo differs from L. pardinoides by its shorter pelage, lower contrast pattern, more expanded and irregular open rosettes, less bushy tail, and the absence of broad and complete caudal bands (see Data S1). It differs from L. tigrinus by its larger and more irregular flank markings, longer and fuller tail, and irregular caudal blotches. It differs from L. guttulus by its larger, more heterogeneous markings, lower dorsal contrast, and relatively longer tail. L. tilcayo can be distinguished from other Leopardus taxa by a large number of molecular characters. In the nuclear genome, among the 29,288,951 transversion variants, on average 1,392,646 sites differentiate L. tilcayo from L. t. antisuyo and 1,491,301 sites differentiate L. tilcayo from L. pardinoides. For simplicity we provide a list of diagnostic mitochondrial DNA sites (see Data S1).

Jonas Lescroart, Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, Molly Cassatt-Johnstone, Alejandra Bonilla-Sánchez, Caroline Charão Sartor, Fernando Angulo, Jorge L. Ramirez, Larissa Rosa de Oliveira, Tadeu Gomes de Oliveira, Beth Shapiro, Enzo Aliaga-Rossel, Hannes Svardal and Eduardo Eizirik. 2026. Phylogenomics and Museomics reveal Five distinct Species of Tiger Cats in South America. Current Biology. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2026.08.059 [September 17, 2026]

[PaleoMammalogy • 2026] Paludocyon moyasolai • A New Species of Paludocyon (Carnivora: Amphicyonidae) from the early Middle Miocene of els Casots (Vallès-Penedès Basin, Barcelona, Spain)

 

Paludocyon moyasolai 

Morales, Abella, Valenciano, Gamarra, Robles, Gregori, Alba & Casanovas-Vilar, 2026  

 DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s10914-026-09814-6 

illustration by Jesús Gamarra    x.com/Gamarraptor

Abstract

The early Middle Miocene (15.9 Ma) site of els Casots (Vallès-Penedès Basin, Catalonia, Spain) has yielded a rich vertebrate assemblage, including abundant carnivoran remains that mostly remain unpublished. Here we describe a new species of the amphicyonid genus Paludocyon based on a compressed cranium with well-preserved teeth and an isolated lower molar (m2) from els Casots. Paludocyon moyasolai sp. nov., included in the subfamily Amphicyoninae, is characterized by a notably enlarged M2, which is buccolingually broader than the M1, and by a the relatively large size of the M3, both traits being absent in other species of Paludocyon. A phylogenetic analysis, conducted on European and North American species assigned to Cynelos and Paludocyon, indicates that Cynelos is paraphyletic but supports the monophyly of Paludocyon, with the new species being recovered as its basal-most member.

 

Keywords: Amphicyoninae, Europe, Iberian Peninsula, Paleobiogeography, Phylogeny

Systematic Paleontology

Order Carnivora Bowdich, 1821

Family Amphicyonidae Trouessart, 1885

Subfamily Amphicyoninae Trouessart, 1885

Tribe Amphicyonini Trouessart, 1885

Paludocyon moyasolai sp. nov. from els Casots.
 a–f. Cranium, IPS10156, holotype: a. lateral left view; b. ventral part; c. left P4–M3 (stereo pair) in occlusal view; d. right P2 in lingual view and the left P3–M2 in buccal view; e. isolated right M1 in occlusal view; f. isolated right M2 in occlusal view.
g–i. Left m2, IPS11438, paratype, stereo pairs in occlusal (g), buccal (h), and lingual (i) views.

All specimens are depicted to the same scale except scale bars in a equal 10 cm, scale bar in b-i equal 5 cm

Paludocyon moyasolai sp. nov.

Type locality: els Casots, Catalonia, Spain.

Age and distribution: Aragonian subzone Cb (MN5), earliest Middle Miocene (~ 15.9 Ma), only known from the type locality.

Diagnosis: Medium-sized species of Paludocyon; P4 with reduced protocone; robust M1 with lingual platform reduced; M2 buccolingually broader than M1, with metacone smaller than paracone; M3 large and with well-defined trigone cuspids; m2 with a robust trigonid, protoconid and metaconid almost of the same height, protoconid with a weak basal buccal widening, short talonid of similar width as the trigonid, and large hypoconid occupying the buccal area of the talonid basin.

Etymology: Species epithet dedicated to Salvador Moyà-Solà, in recognition of his wonderful contribution to the development of European paleomastology (see review in Alba 2025).

Paludocyon moyasolai sp. nov. from els Casots, Spain. Reconstructed life appearance of the head and neck (illustration by Jesús Gamarra)

 

Jorge Morales, Juan Abella, Alberto Valenciano, Jesús Gamarra, Josep M. Robles, Maria Gregori, David M. Alba and Isaac Casanovas-Vilar. 2026. A New Species of Paludocyon (Carnivora: Amphicyonidae) from the early Middle Miocene of els Casots (Vallès-Penedès Basin, Barcelona, Spain).  Journal of Mammalian Evolution. 33, 29. DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s10914-026-09814-6   [06 June 2026]

  x.com/Gamarraptor/status/2064277680023888311

[PaleoMammalogy • 2026] Archaeomeles neglecta • A New Genus of Badger from Pikermi (Greece) and A Review of the Systematics and Evolution of Miocene Melinae (Carnivora: Mustelidae)

Archaeomeles neglecta 

Kargopoulos, Valenciano, Jiangzuo, Liakopoulou, Gerakakis, Kampouridis, Paparizos, Svorligkou, Filis, Sklavounou & Roussiakis, 2026

  DOI: doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2026.2647483  

 x.com/paleo_alberto

 

Abstract

The evolution of Mustelidae has been a topic of debate, obscured by a complex system of convergences between phylogenetically distant groups. In this work, we present a new genus and species of mustelid, Archaeomeles neglecta gen. et sp. nov., from the classical Turolian locality of Pikermi (Greece, Late Miocene, MN12). The material consists of a skull with the associated mandible and shows distinct features that clearly differentiate it from all other known mustelid genera. These characteristics include a long and narrow rostrum, the absence of developed sagittal and supraorbital crest, relatively slender mandibular corpus, enamel folds on the lower canines, the wide P3 and p4, and the moderately enlarged M1 talon and m1 talonid. Morphometrical comparisons and phylogenetic analysis suggest that Archaeomeles is a stem member of the Melinae along with the other Turolian mustelids Promeles, Polgardia and Melodon from Eurasia. Ecomorphological comparisons indicate intermediate dietary habits between the plesiomorphic gulonines and the derived extant badgers, suggesting a diet that is based on small vertebrates and invertebrates as well as plant material. 

Keywords: Carnivora, Ecomorphology, Mustelidae, Phylogeny, Turolian

Systematic palaeontology

Order Carnivora Bowdich, 1821

Suborder Caniformia Kretzoi, 1943

Family Mustelidae Batsch, 1788

Subfamily Melinae Bonaparte, 1838

Genus Archaeomeles gen. nov.

Type and only species. Archaeomeles neglecta sp. nov.

Diagnosis: Mustelid of the size of the extant European otter (Lutra lutra); rostrum long and slender; P1/p1 present; P2/p2 two-rooted; P3 significantly wide; P4 moderately shortened; P4 with hypocone region moderately developed; M1 moderately expanded distolingually, with metaconule and a high protocone; mandibular corpus slender; lower canine with enamel folds; p4 slender without marked accessory cuspids, m1 with low trigonid cuspids, talonid moderately enlarged and basin-like, without entoconid and entoconulid, but with distinct hypoconid and a minute, buccally situated hypoconulid.

Derivation of name: Archaeo-, from the Greek word Ἀρχαῖος meaning ancient, and -meles meaning badger. The name Archaeomeles, ‘ancient badger’, is chosen to highlight its key position in the radiation of the Melinae in the Turolian.

Archaeomeles neglecta sp. nov.

Holotype. AMPG-P.A. 4879/91 – skull with an associated mandible.

 

Derivation of name. The specific name neglecta comes from the feminine of the Latin word neglectus meaning neglected. It refers to the holotype being overlooked in the collections of AMPG for over a century.

Type Locality. Pikermi (classical layers), Attica, Greece.

Age. 7.33–7.29Ma, Turolian, Late Miocene (MN 12).

 

Nikolaos Kargopoulos, Alberto Valenciano, Qigao Jiangzuo, Dionysia Liakopoulou, Nikolaos Gerakakis, Panagiotis Kampouridis, Nikolaos Paparizos, Georgia Svorligkou, Panagiotis Filis, Stamatina Sklavounou and Socrates Roussiakis. 2026. A New Genus of Badger from Pikermi (Greece) and A Review of the Systematics and Evolution of Miocene Melinae (Mammalia, Carnivora, Mustelidae). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 24(1); 2647483.  DOI: doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2026.2647483 [24 Apr 2026]

  x.com/paleo_alberto/status/2047713035066736997

[PaleoMammalogy • 2026] Metapterodon anari • Hyaenodonta from the Middle to Late Miocene deposits of the Siwaliks of Pakistan with a brief account of Indian subcontinent hyaenodonts

 

Metapterodon anari 

Mahmood, Abbas, Jasinski, Babar & Khan, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s12542-025-00766-5  

 x.com/StevenJasinski

 reconstruction by Sergey Krasovskiy

Abstract

New fossil material identified as ‘creodonts,’ particularly hyaenodonts, from the Siwaliks of Pakistan provide significant new information on this important group of carnivores. Three hyaenodont taxa are identified based on these new fossils. Deciduous dental remains identified as ?Megistotherium/Hyainailouros sp. provide important new data on large hyaenodonts and their presence in the Miocene of southern Asia. Fossils identified as Hyaenodon cf. H. pervagus potentially provide important new temporal and biogeographic data on a highly speciose genus of hyaenodont. While the genus is known throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere (Asia, Europe, North America), these new fossils represent the first record of the genus from the Siwaliks, expanding its range in southern Asia. They also represent the youngest temporal occurrence of the genus (Middle Miocene). Another fossil represents a new species, Metapterodon anari sp. nov. This genus was previously tentatively identified from the Siwaliks, but this new material provides definitive evidence of its presence. Not only does this confirm its presence in the Miocene Siwalik deposits of the Indian subcontinent but also represents an important temporal occurrence for the genus. It represents the youngest occurrence of the genus worldwide but may also represent the youngest occurrence of any hyaenodont. The new material provides important new data on some of the less well-known ‘creodonts’ of the Siwaliks, and this data is important for not only our understanding of some of the youngest hyaenodonts near their eventual extinction, but the complex mammal communities preserved on the Indian subcontinent.

Keywords: Hyaenodonta, Siwaliks, Metapterodon, Hyaenodon, Miocene, Biostratigraphy

Siwalik fossil referred to Metapterodon anari sp. nov.
 (A–C), PUPC 19/99 (holotype), nearly complete left m3 in A occlusal, B buccal (labial), and C lingual views.

 bk buccal keel, n notch, pcd paraconid, popcd postparacristid, ppcd preparacristid, pprcd preprotocristid, prcd protoconid, tc talonid cuspid, wf wear facet. Scale bar is 10 mm

Metapterodon anari sp. nov.

Diagnosis. A large species of the genus Metapterodon with large distal (= posterior) lower molars; below the apex of m3, inflated paraconid and protoconid separated by extremely narrow, shallow conspicuous notch; protoconid larger and higher than paraconid; presence of large, distinct buccal keel on the base of paraconid; and extremely reduced unicuspidate talonid.

Holotype. PUPC 19/99, nearly complete left m3 (Fig. 3).

Type locality and age. Y311 (10.063 Ma), Sethi Nagri locality, Chakwal, Punjab, Pakistan.

Horizon. Nagri Formation of Middle Siwalik subgroup (early Late Miocene).

Etymology. Named after Mr. Anar Khan (late), a host and guide in Hasnot and surrounding areas, who served national and international researchers for more than 50 years.

Biogeographic distribution of Hyaenodon species.

Biogeographic distribution of Hyaenodon species.

Metapterodon anari sp. nov.

 reconstruction by Sergey Krasovskiy

  

 

Khalid Mahmood, Sayyed Ghyour Abbas, Steven E. Jasinski, Muhammad Adeeb Babar and Muhammad Akbar Khan. 2026. Hyaenodonta from the Middle to Late Miocene deposits of the Siwaliks of Pakistan with a brief account of Indian subcontinent hyaenodonts. PalZ. DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s12542-025-00766-5 [16 April 2026] 

 x.com/StevenJasinski/status/2060104303272919118

https://www.harrisburgu.edu/news/2026-05-27-new-species-carnivorous-mammals/

[PaleoMammalogy • 2026] The Japanese Archipelago sheltered Cave Lions, not Tigers, during the Late Pleistocene

 a Late Pleistocene cave lion Panthera spelaea overlooking Mount Fuji, Japan. 

in Sun, Peng, Tsutaya, Jiangzuo, ... et Luo, 2026. 

DOI: doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2523901123 

Artistic reconstruction by Velizar Simeonovski

 

Abstract

Lions and tigers, as dominant apex predators, likely became competitors when lions expanded from Africa into Eurasia approximately one million years ago (Ma), forming a lion–tiger transition belt from the Middle East through Central Asia to the Russian Far East. At the easternmost edge of this zone, the Japanese Archipelago has long been considered a Late Pleistocene tiger refugium, supported by large felid subfossils traditionally attributed to tigers (Panthera tigris), though their taxonomic identity remained unresolved. To clarify the origin, evolutionary history, and biogeography of Japan’s Pleistocene felids, we analyzed 26 ancient specimens previously assumed to be tigers. Using mitochondrial and nuclear genome hybridization capture and sequencing, paleoproteomics, Bayesian molecular dating, and radiocarbon dating, we found that all ancient Japanese “tiger” remains yielding molecular data were, unexpectedly, cave lions (Panthera spelaea). One specimen from Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan, was radiocarbon dated to 36,000-34,891 cal. BP. These cave lions likely dispersed to the Japanese Archipelago between ~72.7 and 37.5 thousand years ago (ka), when a land bridge connected northern Japan to the mainland during the Last Glacial Period. Our findings challenge the long-held view that tigers once took refuge in Japan, showing instead that cave lions were widespread in northeast Asia during this period and were the Panthera lineage that colonized Japan, reaching even its southwestern regions despite habitats previously thought to favor tigers.

Maps showing the possible distributions of lions and tigers in eastern Eurasia and Alaska during different Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) of the Late Pleistocene. ...

Artistic reconstruction of a Late Pleistocene cave lion overlooking Mount Fuji, Japan.

Artwork by Velizar Simeonovski

Significance: Lions and tigers were widespread apex predators during the Late Pleistocene and integral components of East Asian megafauna. Cave lions predominantly inhabited northern Eurasia, whereas tigers were distributed farther south. The boundary between their ranges extended across Eurasia and shifted with climatic fluctuations, such as glacial–interglacial oscillations. Our findings challenge the prevailing view that tigers once took refuge in Japan and that cave lion distribution was limited to the Russian Far East and northeast China. These findings provide evidence that lions, rather than tigers, colonized the Japanese Archipelago during the Late Pleistocene. This finding extends the known range of cave lions in East Asia and refines our understanding of how far south the lion–tiger transition belt shifted during this period.

 

Xin Sun, Lanhui Peng, Takumi Tsutaya, Qigao Jiangzuo, Yoshikazu Hasegawa, Yuxin Hou, Yu Han, Yan Zhuang, Nuno Filipe Gomes Martins, Jazmin Ramos Madrigal, Alberto J. Taurozzi, Meaghan Mackie, Gaudry Trochė, Jesper V. Olsen, Enrico Cappellini, Stephen J. O’Brien, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Nobuyuki Yamaguchi, and Shu-Jin Luo. 2026. The Japanese Archipelago sheltered Cave Lions, not Tigers, during the Late Pleistocene. PNAS. 123(6); e2523901123. DOI: doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2523901123 [January 26, 2026]

[PaleoMammalogy • 2023] Pachypanthera piriyai • A new large pantherine and a sabre-toothed cat (Carnivora: Felidae) from the late Miocene hominoid-bearing Khorat sand pits, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, northeastern Thailand

Pachypanthera piriyai   

de Bonis, Chaimanee, Grohé, Chavasseau, Mazurier, Suraprasit & Jaeger, 2023

  

DOI: 10.1007/s00114-023-01867-4

  Researchgate.net/publication/373162644

 facebook.com/ASRUChula 

 

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.

 

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

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)

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

 facebook.com/ASRUChula/posts/688793099932089 

 Researchgate.net/publication/373162644_A_new_large_pantherine_from_the_late_Miocene_hominoid-bearing_Khorat_sand_pits

[PaleoMammalogy • 2025] Circamustela bhapralensis, Vishnuictis plectilodous, ... • Rare Carnivorous Mammals from A diverse Fossil Assemblage from the Middle Siwaliks of Haritalyangar area, Himachal Pradesh, North India

Circamustela bhapralensis

Sankhyan, Abbas, Jasinski, Khan & Mahmood, 2025

 

DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s10914-025-09749-4

 www.harrisburgu.edu 

 x.com/StevenJasinski 

Artwork by Sergey Krasovskiy

Abstract

Newly collected fossil carnivoran material from the Haritalyangar and Nurpur Middle Siwalik sequences of Himachal Pradesh (India) include at least five taxa and two new species including Mustelidae (‘Martes’ lydekkeri, Circamustela bhapralensis sp. nov., Mustelidae indet.), Viverridae (Vishnuictis plectilodous sp. nov.), and Felidae (indeterminate basal Felinae). These findings include the first upper jaw material of ‘Martes’ lydekkeri, a rare mustelid known only from lower jaw specimens, suggesting potentially closer relationships with European mustelids. Additionally, we report the first identification of Circamustela from the Siwaliks of the Indian subcontinent, despite nearly two centuries of fossil collection in the region. This material represents a new species Circamustela bhapralensis sp. nov. Circamustela, originating in Europe, eventually migrated to the Indian subcontinent before its extinction, and the smaller body size of the new species may suggest a trend toward decreasing body size in this taxon. Fossil viverrid material also represents a new species, Vishnuictis plectilodous sp. nov., the youngest species yet known for the genus. This new material implies an increase in morphological complexity in the m1 of these viverrids, potentially also suggesting an increase in dietary diversity within this lineage. The new viverrid species may also represent the largest viverrid yet known. Mandibular material of a feline is also described, providing further information on the biodiversity of the fossil carnivorans in the region. These new specimens add important information to our knowledge of the ancient biodiversity of the region, the evolutionary history of several carnivoran mammals, and the carnivoran guild of southern Asia.

Keywords: Carnivora, Felidae, Haritalyangar, India, Mustelidae, Neogene, Siwaliks, Viverridae

Circamustela bhapralensis sp. nov.

Vishnuictis fossil comparisons.
a–c. Holotype m1 of Vishnuictis plectilodous sp. nov. (HTA-68), complete right m1 in occlusal (a), medial (lingual) (b), and lateral (labial) (c) views. d. Terminology for various features of the m1 of V. plectilodous sp. nov. (HTA-68).
e–g. Holotype right mandibular ramus containing p4 and m1 of V. hasnoti comb. nov. (HTA-135), modified from Pilgrim (1932: pl. II, figs. 18, 18a, 18b) in occlusal (e), medial (lingual) (f), and lateral (labial) (g) views. Scale bars equal 1 cm

Vishnuictis plectilodous sp. nov.

 

Anek Ram Sankhyan, Sayyed Ghyour Abbas, Steven E. Jasinski, Muhammad Akbar Khan and Khalid Mahmood. 2025. Rare Carnivorous Mammals from A diverse Fossil Assemblage from the Middle Siwaliks of Haritalyangar area, Himachal Pradesh, North India. Journal of Mammalian Evolution. 32; 14. DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s10914-025-09749-4 [22 March 2025]

Study on New Fossil Carnivorous Mammals from Himalayan Foothills 

 www.harrisburgu.edu/news/2025-04-01-new-fossil-carnivorous-mammals-himalayan 

 x.com/StevenJasinski/status/1907906123111539000

[Mammalogy • 2025] Mustela mopbie • Phylogenomics of the Genus Mustela (Carnivora: Mustelidae) with Description of A New Species from China

Mustela mopbie  

in Wei, Cao, He, Abramov, Wang, J. Fu, Li, Yang, L.-Q. Fu, Huang, Zhou, Wen et Ge, 2025.

   DOI: doi.org/10.1111/jse.70029 

 x.com/JournalSysEvo

Abstract

Weasels represent the most widely distributed and diverse lineage within the family Mustelidae. They have experienced adaptive radiation and have long been the subject of significant taxonomic debates. This study undertakes a comprehensive study of this group, employing morphological measurements, mitochondrial genomes, nuclear genes, and single copy orthologs extracted from whole genome data. Based on the outcomes of phylogenetic tree construction using orthologous genes, it is ultimately verified that the genera Mustela and Neogale are independent genera, thereby resolving the controversy regarding the species they encompass. Through molecular systematics and morphological studies, a putative Mustela species collected from Mabian Dafengding National Nature Reserve in Sichuan is confirmed as a new species, designated Mustela mopbie sp. nov. This new species exhibits molecular phylogenetic affinity with M. altaica and M. nivalis, yet shares morphological similarities with M. kathiah, M. nivalis and M. aistoodonnivalis. Notably, it is considerably smaller than these species and possesses distinctive body coloration and tail morphology. This study provides a detailed description of this new species and demonstrates that larger datasets yield more robust phylogenetic signal. Furthermore, we observed substantial incongruence between mitochondrial and nuclear gene trees, suggesting potential genomic introgression between this new species and its closely related congeners (M. altaica and M. nivalis).

Keywords: cytonuclear discordance, genetic distance, morphological differentiation, Mustela, systematic classification

Mustela mopbie sp. nov.

Qiu-Jin Wei, Lei Cao, Xing-Cheng He, Alexei Abramov, Jin Wang, Jie Fu, Rui Li, Qi-Sen Yang, Li-Qiang Fu, Yao-Hua Huang, Cai-Quan Zhou, Zhi-Xin Wen and De-Yan Ge. 2025. Phylogenomics of the Genus Mustela with Description of A New Species from China. Journal of Systematics and Evolution. DOI: doi.org/10.1111/jse.70029 [14 November 2025]

 x.com/JournalSysEvo/status/1993418072376655931

 

[PaleoMammalogy • 2025] Taotienimravus songi • A New ecomorph of Nimravidae, and the early Macrocarnivorous Niche Exploration in Carnivora

 

 Taotienimravus songi

 Jiangzuo, Lyras, Grohe, Werdelin, Niu, Huang, Li, Jiang, Fu, Wan, Liu, Wang & Deng, 2025

DOI: doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2025.1686 

 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

  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]

[PaleoMammalogy • 2024] A Review of the Asian Semigenetta Helbing, 1927 (Carnivora: Feliformia: Viverridae) with A Description of Two New Species, Semigenetta qiae n. sp. from South China and Semigenetta thailandica n. sp. from Thailand

 

Semigenetta qiae

Wang, Jiangzuo, Grohé, de Bonis, Chaimanee & Jaeger, 2024

 Comptes Rendus Palevol. 23(26); 

  Researchgate.net/publication/385609743

Semigenetta Helbing, 1927 is a small genet-like carnivoran in the family Viverridae Gray, 1821. The genus has a modest diversity in the Miocene of Eurasia. With its first documentation going back to 1850s, the European records are relatively continuous with five currently recognized species. Asian records have a much shorter history of studies with its first record, S. huaiheensis Qiu & Gu, being published in 1986. In the present paper, we review the Asian records of Semigenetta from China and Thailand, which so far are represented by three species based on fragmentary jaws and teeth. We recognize two new species, S. qiae n. sp. from the late Miocene (c. 6.2-6.9 Ma) of Lufeng Basin in central Yunnan Province, South China and S. thailandica n. sp. from the middle Miocene (13.4-13.2 Ma) of Mae Moh Basin in Lampang Province, northern Thailand. Zoogeographically, both S. huaiheensis and S. thailandica n. sp. seem traceable to their European ancestors, as independent immigration events. Semigenetta thailandica n. sp. may have given rise to S. qiae n. sp., i.e., S. thailandica n. sp. and S. qiae n. sp., both recovered from lignitic sediments, potentially form a southeast Asian clade. All Asian Semigenetta occur within the Oriental zoogeographic province, and like their European counterparts, presumably prefer warm, humid, and wooded environments. Their relatively conservative morphology and low diversity seem also indicative of a stable environment in subtropical refugia. Semigenetta qiae n. sp. from Lufeng is the last survivor of the genus in Asia.

Keywords: Carnivora, Viverridae, Semigenetta, Miocene, China, Thailand, Asia, zoogeography, new species

 Semigenetta qiae n. sp., IVPP V27106, holotype:
A, lingual view; B, buccal view of left dentary. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Semigenetta qiae n. sp. from the late Miocene (c. 6.2-6.9 Ma) of Lufeng Basin in central Yunnan Province, South China 

Semigenetta thailandica n. sp. from the middle Miocene (13.4-13.2 Ma) of Mae Moh Basin in Lampang Province, northern Thailand

Xiaoming WANG, Qigao JIANGZUO, Camille GROHÉ, Louis de BONIS, Yaowalak CHAIMANEE & Jean-Jacques JAEGER. 2024. A Review of the Asian Semigenetta Helbing, 1927 (Viverridae, Feliformia, Carnivora) with A Description of Two New Species, Semigenetta qiae n. sp. from South China and Semigenetta thailandica n. sp. from Thailand.  Comptes Rendus Palevol. 23(26); 417-432. 

https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/en/periodiques/comptes-rendus-palevol/23/26 [06 November 2024]

  Researchgate.net/publication/385609743_A_review_of_Semigenetta_with_two_new_species_from_South_China_et_Thailand

[PaleoMammalogy • 2024] New insights on the enigmatic Otters from the Late Miocene of Tuscany: Tyrrhenolutra maremmana nov. comb. (Carnivora: Mustelidae: Lutrinae), with A Phylogeny of bunodont otters

 Tyrrhenolutra maremmana Hürzeler, 1987

in Faggi, Bartolini-Lucenti et Rook, 2024. 

DOI: doi.org/10.54103/2039-4942/22479 

Artwork by Sara Scheggi

Abstract

Otters, subfamily Lutrinae (Mustelidae), are predators that thrive in aquatic environments, and have a semiaquatic to fully aquatic lifestyle. While modern otters are found across the globe, their fossil history is limited, primarily documented by fragmented dentognathic remains. In this work, we report on and describe new dental remains of a medium-sized Lutrinae from the Late Miocene of Baccinello and Casteani (Tuscany), improving the poor fossil record of the subfamily in Europe. Tyrrhenolutra helbingi Hürzeler, 1987 is a poorly known species, described on some dental remains from the Baccinello mines and a few other localities. Considering its peculiar morphology, it has often been overlooked in the scientific literature. Description of the material stored at the Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel and Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia dell’Università di Firenze offers new insights on the intraspecific variability and dental morphology of this taxon. The comparative study of these findings highlights several morphological and biometrical similarities between T. helbingi and Paludolutra maremmana Hürzeler, 1987, which allow us to redefine these taxa as Tyrrhenolutra maremmana nov. comb. We carried out a total-evidence cladistic analysis seeking support for morphometric and morphological similarities between T. “helbingi” and “P.” maremmana. The resulting parsimony analyses support the synonymy, excluding a close relationship of T. maremmana with Paludolutra of Italy and Spain, as previously thought. Furthermore, we confirm a long-forgotten hypothesis identifying Limnonyx Crusafont Pairó, 1950 as the possible continental ancestor of Tyrrhenolutra.

Keywords: Neogene; Baccinello; Carnivora; mustelid; taxonomy; cladistic.

Mandibles of Tyrrhenolutra maremmana nov. com. from Baccinello V1, Casteani and Montebamboli.
A-C) NMB.Bac.54, left and right hemimandible with right p2-m1 and left p2-m1, A: right buccal view; B: occlusal view; C: left buccal view.
D-F) NMB.Bac.52, left hemi-mandible with p2-m2, D: buccal view (mirrored); E: occlusal view; F: lingual view (mirrored).
G-H) NMB.Bac.55, right hemimandible fragment with c-p4, G: buccal view; H: occlusal view; I: lingual view.
J-K) IGF 11756c, left mandible with p2, m1 and m2, J: buccal view (mirrored); K: occlusal view; L: lingual view (mirrored).
M-O) MSNUP N.1, right mandible fragment with c, p3, p4, M: buccal view; N: occlusal view; O: lingual view.

Restoration of Tyrrhenolutra maremmana based on the cranial material from the Late Miocene of Tuscany.

 Artwork by Sara Scheggi

ANDREA FAGGI, SAVERIO BARTOLINI-LUCENTI and LORENZO ROOK. 2024. New insights on the enigmatic Otters from the Late Miocene of Tuscany: Tyrrhenolutra maremmana nov. comb. (Lutrinae, Mustelidae, Carnivora), with A Phylogeny of bunodont otters. Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia (Riv. It. Paleontol. Strat. - Research in Paleontology and Stratigraphy). 130(2); 259-284. DOI: doi.org/10.54103/2039-4942/22479 [July 2024]