Carnivora from the early Oligocene of the ‘ Phosphorites du Quercy’ in southwestern France
Author
Bonis, Louis de
Palevoprim: laboratoire de Paléontologie, Évolution, Paléoécosystèmes, Paléoprimatologie, Bâtiment B 35 TSA 51106, 6 rue Michel Brunet F- 86073 Poitiers cedex 9 (France)
louis.debonis@univ-poitiers.fr
Author
Gardin, Axelle
Palevoprim: laboratoire de Paléontologie, Évolution, Paléoécosystèmes, Paléoprimatologie, Bâtiment B 35 TSA 51106, 6 rue Michel Brunet F- 86073 Poitiers cedex 9 (France)
axelle.gardin@univ-poitiers.fr
Author
Blondel, Cécile
Palevoprim: laboratoire de Paléontologie, Évolution, Paléoécosystèmes, Paléoprimatologie, Bâtiment B 35 TSA 51106, 6 rue Michel Brunet F- 86073 Poitiers cedex 9 (France)
cecile.blondel@univ-poitiers.fr
text
Geodiversitas
2019
2019-09-10
41
15
601
621
journal article
10.5252/geodiversitas2019v41a15
1e89d723-7f54-4d6b-85dd-6bcd573eca32
1638-9395
3694209
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9DD3CC29-3AEA-44B8-8E8F-6AD882DF5B1C
Eusmilus bidentatus
(
Filhol, 1872
)
(
Fig. 5K, L
)
TYPE
MATERIAL
. —
Lectotype
, edentulous hemi-mandible,
MNHN
.F.QU9475, from the Quercy phosphorites, was designated by
Peigné & Brunet (2001: 660)
.
NEW
MATERIAL
. — Fragment of upper canine
UM
VD
3; right P4
UM
VD
2.
RERMARKS
Part of the tip of an elongate and bucco-lingually much compressed canine with mesial and distal trenchant and crenulated carenae is characteristic of a sabre-toothed carnivore (
Fig. 5K
1
, K
2
). It is impossible to know if it is a milk tooth or a permanent one because these are very similar (
Peigné & Brunet 2001
). Too small to belong to
Dinailurictis
,
smaller and more elongated than that of
Nimravus
, it fits the genus
Eusmilus
. The latter, first described as
Machairodus
(
Filhol 1872a
) includes two European species,
E. villebramarensis
Peigné & Brunet, 2001
from early Oligocene deposits (MP 22) and
E. bidentatus
(
Filhol, 1872
)
from undated old collections of Quercy and from Soumailles (MP 21), where a complete skeleton was recovered (
Ringeade & Michel 1994a
,
b
). The canines of the first species, whether permanent or milk teeth, are larger (
Peigné & Brunet 2001
) and UM VD3 is closer to
E. bidentatus
. An isolated P4 (
Fig. 5L
1
, L
2
) of which the protocone is broken off corresponds to a medium-sized feloid-like carnivoran (L =
15 mm
; Wmts = 5.2; Lmts = 6.7). It has a robust parastyle and an elongate metastyle. It differs from
Proailurus
, which is smaller and lacks a large parastyle.
Eofelis edwardsi
(
Filhol, 1872
)
is too small and does not have a parastyle. The P4 of the larger
Eofelis
species,
E. giganteus
Peigné, 2000
, is unknown but probably did not have parastyle, like in the smaller species.
Nimravus
does not have parastyle and
Dinailurictis
is too large. The size and the robust parastyle indicate
Eusmilus
. By its size we may refer this carnassial to
E. bidentatus
. Taking into account the occurrence of the large
E
.
villebramarensis
in Villebramar (MP 22), which is not far away, we conclude that two different species were present in the same area and at the same time.