Nimravus
| Nimravus Temporal range: Early Oligocene–Early Miocene |
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| N. brachyops jaw, University of California Museum of Paleontology | |
| Conservation status | |
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Fossil
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| (unranked): | Feliformia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Nimravidae |
| Genus: | Nimravus Cope, 1879 |
| Species | |
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Nimravus is an extinct genus of the family Nimravidae, subfamily Nimravinae (false saber-toothed cat) endemic to North America during the Oligocene epoch (33.3—26.3 mya), existing for approximately 7 million years.[1]
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[edit] Taxonomy
Nimravus was named by Cope (1879) [status called into question by Bryant 1996]. It is the type genus of Nimravidae, Nimravinae. It was assigned to Nimravidae by Cope (1879) and Martin (1998); and to Nimravinae by Flynn and Galiano (1982), Bryant (1991) and Hunt (1998).[2][3]
Unrelated to saber-toothed cats, they evolved a similar form through parallel evolution.
[edit] Morphology
Nimravus was around 1.2 metres (4 ft) in body length. With its sleek body, it may have resembled the modern caracal, although it had a longer back and more dog-like feet with partially retractile claws. It probably hunted birds and small mammals, ambushing them like modern cats, rather than chasing them down. Nimravus competed with other false sabre-tooths such as Eusmilus.[4]
A Nimravus skull, found in North America, had been pierced in the forehead region, the hole exactly matching the dimensions of the sabre-like canine of Eusmilus. This particular individual of Nimravus apparently survived this encounter, as the wound showed signs of healing.
A single specimen was examined by M. Mendoza for body mass and was estimated to have a weight of 29.5 kg (65 lbs).[5]
[edit] Fossil distribution
Fossils were uncovered in the western U.S. from Oregon to southern California to Nebraska.
[edit] Species
N. brachyops (syn. Archaelurus debilis, Dinictis major, N. altidens, N. bumpensis, N. confertus, N. gomphodus, N. meridianus), N. sectator.
[edit] References
- ^ PaleoBiology Database: Nimravus, basic info
- ^ L. D. Martin. 1998. Felidae. In C. M. Janis, K. M. Scott, and L. L. Jacobs (eds.), Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America 1:236-242
- ^ A. Berta and H. Galiano. 1983. Megantereon hesperus from the late Hemphillian of Florida with remarks on the phylogenetic relationships of machairodonts (Mammalia, Felidae, Machairodontinae). Journal of Paleontology.
- ^ Palmer, D., ed (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 222. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
- ^ M. Mendoza, C. M. Janis, and P. Palmqvist. 2006. Estimating the body mass of extinct ungulates: a study on the use of multiple regression. Journal of Zoology
