Vulpes skinneri
- Malapa Cave ( South Africa)
Vulpes skinneri is an extinct species of the Real foxes. They lived about 2 million years ago in the early Pleistocene in the area of present-day South Africa and resembled in body size the Kapfuchs. The remains of Vulpes skinneri include a few bone fragments and come from the Malapa Cave in northern South Africa. They show the typical morphology of the genus Vulpes, suggesting that Vulpes skinneri probably had a similar lifestyle.
The species was described in 2013 by a group led by paleontologist Adam Hartstone - Rose. Their position within the genus Vulpes is unclear.
Features
On the basis of the obtained bone material can only say little about the appearance of Vulpes skinneri. The back part of the jaw has similar dimensions as that of the Kapfuchses. The proportions of the dentition, however, resemble much more those of the Fenneks, although V. skinneri was significantly greater.
From the teeth only after the lower premolar, said first and second lower molar and the base of the second and third molars of the lower jaw are known. The premolar has, as with most other dogs of this size at no mesial side cusps. It has a clear, sharp Postcingulid, unlike all other known Kleincaniden but no distal side cusps. The first molar acting along compressed and therefore very high. Meta - and Paraconid probably had the same height. The Hypoconid dominated almost the Entoconid and is close to a Hypoconulid. The latter stands out clearly from Entoconid turn off. The second lower molar has four cusps and has a cingulum, the cheek side strongly arched outward. The Trigonid is thus wider than the talonid. Protocionid and Metaconid are balanced:. The Entoconid is slightly higher than the Hypoconid, with which it is connected by a striking Postentoconulid. In addition, V. skinneri had no Cingulide or Cuspulide at the lower second molar.
Locality, fossil material and stratigraphy
The remains of Vulpes skinneri were among the first bones were found in the South African Malapa cave after their discovery in 2008. In the known discoveries are the rear fraction of a left lower jaw, a left second molar, probably dates from this lower jaw, and a left rib. The period of deposition of bone in the Malapa cave is dated to the Early Pleistocene ( 1.977 mya ).
Ecology
Little is known about the habitat of Vulpes skinneri. Probably he was forested in his lifetime. Its habitat type divided apparently with other animals found in the Malapa cave such as Australopithecus sediba, Dinofelis barlowi, leopards (Panthera pardus ), Schwarzfußkatzen (Felis nigripes ) and brown hyena ( Parahyaena brunnea ).
System
Today Vulpes skinneri assigned bones were first found as Vulpes chama cf near the Kapfuchses. A detailed comparison of the tooth material with other fox species, introduced Adam Hartstone - Rose, Brian F. Kuhn, Shahed Nalla, Lars Werdelin and Lee R. Berger to the conclusion that there must be a distinct species of the genus Vulpes. In memory of John Dawson Skinner and his exploration of the African mammal fauna they chose skinneri as epithet. About membership in Vulpes, they met no more systematic classification of the Art