Dinofelis

Dinofelis

• Europe
• North America
• Africa
• Asia

Dinofelis ( " terror Cat" ) is an extinct genus of cats from the Pliocene and Pleistocene. Like other cats metailurine it was put to the long saber-toothed cats ( Machairodontinae ). Today, these are no longer part of the saber-toothed cats in the narrower sense despite the extended upper canines.

Features

The body length of Dinofelis was between the Leopard and Lion. In physique he might have resembled a jaguar. The laterally slightly flattened canines were compared to those of saber-toothed cats relatively small and more reminiscent of the cats today. In dentition and body features, this cat has metailurine morphologically closer to the big cats. This is particularly evident barlowi in the African species D. and Asian species D. cristata. This trend was reversed in the recent species D. piveteaui that corresponded more to the saber tooth cat-like type, but to get back. Few studies have been conducted on the exact body proportions of the species. The lower arms of the front legs were in specimens from South Africa, for example, relatively short, which is typical for waldbewohnende cats like the jaguar. The front legs were strong, the hind legs, however, formed rather weak. These characteristics allow a total suggest that Dinofelis was not a very fast runner.

Types and distribution

Fossil finds of Dinofelis are known from Eurasia, North America and Africa, where the African continent is likely to have been the center of the phylogenetic development. The oldest species of the genus are D. abeli from Asia, from Europe diastema D. and D. paleoonca from North America. However, the two Asian species D. cristata and D. are abeli recently combined together to form, in which the older name D. cristata is valid. Some copies of a Mio- Pliocene site on the Langebaanweg in South Africa were attributed to the European style, but could also belong to the African species D. barlowi. Another African species is D. piveteaui, from a very well-preserved skull from South Africa is dated to 1.5 million years. Some findings that were originally described as a distinct genus Therailurus, are now also attributed Dinofelis.

Way of life

Dinofelis was certainly a carnivore, but generally little is known about his life known. Remains of three of these cats were together with some baboon fossils found, apparently dead all natural in a kind of trap. Therefore, it is sometimes assumed Dinofelis have preferred hunted down fortified primates such as baboons and possibly early humans.

Extinction

The moment of extinction can not be determined exactly. Outside Africa, the species was at all times very rare in Africa Dinofelis seems to be extinct about 1.4 million years ago. Maybe the genus could here but have survived with D. piveteaui until about a million years.