Sivanasua | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Suborder: | Feliformia |
Family: | † Lophocyonidae |
Genus: | † Sivanasua Pilgrim, 1932 |
Species | |
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Sivanasua is an extinct genus of carnivorous mammal found across Miocene Europe including Germany, Austria, [1] France, Spain and the Czech Republic. Like other lophocyonids, Sivanasua had unusual lophodont dentition, meaning the molars had ridges across the grinding surface of the molars, an adaptation believed to be indicative of a herbivorous diet.
The first fossils of Sivanasua from Attenfeld, Germany, were interpreted by Max Schlosser in 1916 as a relative of the red panda. Schlosser named them "Aeluravus" viverroides. However, as the name was already occupied by a glirid, Pilgrim later suggested the name Sivanasua in its place. Pilgrim simultaneously named two more species from India and Pakistan, S. himalayensis and S. palaeindica. Both these species, alongside S. nagrii (named by Prasad in 1963), were later recovered as primates. [2] Crusafont-Pairó described a species from Spain in 1959 as S. antiqua and Fejar & Schmidt-Kittler described S. moravica in 1984. [3]
The exact relationship between Sivanasua and other carnivorans has long been debated, with historic hypothesis placing them within Ailuridae, Procyonidae and even Hyaenodontidae. [4] More recent analysis of the fossil material suggest that lophocyonids were feliforms most closely related to hyenas, represented by Protictitherium in the phylogenetic tree depicted below. [5] Within lophocyonids Sivanasua is a derived member, recovered as a sister taxon to Lophocyon by Morales et al. (2019).
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Within the genus, S. viverroides from Central and Western Europe and S. antiqua from Spain were recovered as temporally and geographically separated sister taxa, with S. moravica being their last common ancestor. [1]
The lophodont dentition observed in Sivanasua and related lophocyonids such as Izmirictis suggests adaptations towards a herbivorous lifestyle, with the microwear of the teeth being more similar to that of herbivores than obligate carnivores. [5]
Creodonta is an order of extinct flesh-eating placental mammals that lived from the early Paleocene to the late Miocene epochs in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Originally thought to be a single group of animals ancestral to the modern Carnivora, this order is now usually considered a polyphyletic assemblage of two different groups, the Oxyaenids and the Hyenodonts, not a natural group. Oxyaenids are first known from the Palaeocene of North America, while hyaenodonts hail from the Palaeocene of Africa.
Megistotherium is an extinct genus of hyainailourid hyaenodonts from paraphyletic subfamily Hyainailourinae that lived in Africa.
Hyaenodon ("hyena-tooth") is an extinct genus of carnivorous hyaenodont mammals from tribe Hyaenodontini, within subfamily Hyaenodontinae in family Hyaenodontidae, that lived in Eurasia and North America during the middle Eocene to early Miocene, existing for about 25.1 million years.
Dissopsalis is a genus of teratodontine hyaenodonts of the tribe Dissopsalini. The older species, D. pyroclasticus, lived in Kenya during the middle Miocene, while the type species, D. carnifex, lived in Pakistan and India during the middle to late Miocene.
Stenoplesictidae is the name of a polyphyletic family of extinct civet-like feliforms.
Ysengrinia is an extinct genus of carnivoran in the family Amphicyonidae (beardogs), which lived in Europe, Asia, and North America during the Early Miocene. It was also reported from Egypt and Namibia, but this material has been reassigned to other genera of beardogs.
Hyainailouros ("hyena-cat") is an extinct polyphyletic genus of hyainailourid hyaenodont mammal of the polyphyletic tribe Hyainailourini within paraphyletic subfamily Hyainailourinae, that lived during the early to middle Miocene, of which there were at least three species spread across Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Sivapterodon is an extinct genus of hyainailourid hyaenodont mammal of the polyphyletic tribe Hyainailourini within paraphyletic subfamily Hyainailourinae that lived in Pakistan during the middle Miocene.
Sivaladapis is a genus of adapiform primate that lived in Asia during the middle Miocene.
Kretzoiarctos is an extinct bear genus from the European Miocene. It consists of Kretzoiarctos beatrix, an ancestor of the extant giant panda.
Limnocyon is an extinct paraphyletic genus of limnocyonid hyaenodonts that lived in North America during the middle Eocene. Fossils of this animal have been found in California, Utah and Wyoming.
Hyaenodonta is an extinct order of hypercarnivorous placental pan-carnivoran mammals from mirorder Ferae. Hyaenodonts were important mammalian predators that arose during the early Paleocene in Europe and persisted well into the late Miocene.
Hyainailouridae ("hyena-cats") is a paraphyletic family of extinct predatory mammals from extinct paraphyletic superfamily Hyainailouroidea within extinct order Hyaenodonta. Hyaenodontids arose during the middle Eocene and persisted well into the middle Miocene. Fossils of this group have been found in Asia, Africa, North America and Europe.
Isohyaenodon is an extinct polyphyletic genus of hyainailourid hyaenodont mammal from polyphyletic subtribe Isohyaenodontina. Remains are known from early to middle Miocene deposits in Kenya, East Africa.
Exiguodon is an extinct genus of hyainailourid hyaenodont mammal of the polyphyletic tribe Hyainailourini within paraphyletic subfamily Hyainailourinae. Remains are known from early Miocene deposits in Kenya and Uganda, in East Africa.
Falcatodon is an extinct genus of hyainailourid hyaenodonts of the polyphyletic tribe Hyainailourini within paraphyletic subfamily Hyainailourinae, from the Early Oligocene (Rupelian) of the Faiyum Oasis depression in Egypt.
Metapterodon is an extinct genus of hyainailourid hyaenodonts of the tribe Metapterodontini withnin paraphyletic subfamily Hyainailourinae, that lived in Africa during the early Oligocene to early Miocene. Fossils of Metapterodon were recovered from the Egypt, Uganda, Elisabeth Bay Formation in Namibia, and Rusinga Island and Karungu in Kenya.
Altacreodus is an extinct genus of eutherian mammals. Fossils have been found in North America where they first appeared during the Late Cretaceous, and they died out prior to the start of the Paleocene.
Herpestoidea is a superfamily of mammalia carnivores which includes mongooses, Malagasy carnivorans and the hyenas.
Lophocyonidae is an extinct family of feliform carnivorans from the Miocene of Europe.