Panthera zdanskyi

Short description: Extinct species of carnivore

Panthera zdanskyi

Temporal range: Early Pleistocene, 2.55–2.16 Ma

PreЄ

Holotype skull
Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Chordata
Class:  | Mammalia
Order:  | Carnivora
Suborder:  | Feliformia
Family:  | Felidae
Subfamily:  | Pantherinae
Genus:  | Panthera
Species:  |

†P. zdanskyi

Binomial name
†Panthera zdanskyi

Mazák, Christiansen & Kitchener, 2011

Panthera zdanskyi is an extinct pantherine species, the fossils of which were excavated in Gansu Province, northwestern China. Due to its close relationship with the modern tiger (Panthera tigris), it is called the Longdan tiger.[1]

As of 2025, at least three recent studies considered P. zdanskyi likely to be a synonym of Panthera palaeosinensis, noting that its proposed differences from that species fell within the range of individual variation.[2][3][4]

## Contents

* 1 Etymology
* 2 Description
* 3 Phylogeny
* 4 See also
* 5 References
* 6 External links

## Etymology

Panthera zdanskyi was first named by Ji H. Mazák, Per Christiansen and Andrew C. Kitchener in 2011. The specific name honors the Austrian paleontologist Otto A. Zdansky for his contributions to the understanding of Neogene Chinese fossil carnivorans.[1]

## Description

The holotype of Panthera zdanskyi consists of a nearly complete skull and mandible stored at the Babiarz Institute of Paleontological Studies. It is the oldest known complete pantherine skull ever found, and it indicates that the animal was about the size of a jaguar. The paratype comprises a rostrum, premaxilla and maxilla and much of the dentition, originally referred to Panthera palaeosinensis. It was collected in 2004 in the eastern slope of Longdan, south of Dongxiang Autonomous County in the Lower Pleistocene Equus layer, dating to the Gelasian stage of the earliest Pleistocene, about 2.55–2.16 million years ago.[1]

## Phylogeny

Restored skulls

The cladogram below follows Mazák, Christiansen and Kitchener (2011).[1]

Pantherinae |  |  |

Neofelis

|

Panthera |  |  |

Panthera uncia

|

|  |  |

Panthera palaeosinensis†

|

|  |  |  |  |

Panthera onca

|

|  |  |

Panthera atrox†

|

|  |  |

Panthera spelaea†

|

|  |  |

Panthera leo

|

Panthera pardus

|  |  |

Panthera tigris

|

Panthera zdanskyi†

## See also

* Panthera blytheae
* Panthera gombaszoegensis
* Panthera shawi
* Panthera sondaica
* Panthera youngi

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Mazák, J. H.; Christiansen, P.; Kitchener, A. C. (2011). "Oldest Known Pantherine Skull and Evolution of the Tiger". PLOS One 6 (10). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0025483. PMID 22016768. Bibcode: 2011PLoSO...625483M.
2. ↑ Hemmer, Helmut (2023). "The identity of the "lion", Panthera principialis sp. nov., from the Pliocene Tanzanian site of Laetoli and its significance for molecular dating the pantherine phylogeny, with remarks on Panthera shawi (Broom, 1948), and a revision of Puma incurva (Ewer, 1956), the Early Pleistocene Swartkrans "leopard" (Carnivora, Felidae)". Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments 103 (2): 465–487. doi:10.1007/s12549-022-00542-2. Bibcode: 2023PdPe..103..465H.
3. ↑ Jiangzuo, Qigao; Wang, Yuan; Ge, Junyi; Liu, Sizhao; Song, Yayun; Jin, Changzhu; Jiang, Hao; Liu, Jinyi (2023). "Discovery of jaguar from northeastern China middle Pleistocene reveals an intercontinental dispersal event". Historical Biology 35 (3): 293–302. doi:10.1080/08912963.2022.2034808. Bibcode: 2023HBio...35..293J.
4. ↑ Jiangzuo, Q.; Madurell-Malapeira, J.; Li, X.; Estraviz-López, D.; Mateus, O.; Testu, A.; Li, S.; Wang, S. et al. (2025). "Insights on the evolution and adaptation toward high-altitude and cold environments in the snow leopard lineage". Science Advances 11 (3). doi:10.1126/sciadv.adp5243. PMID 39813339.

## External links

* Choi, C. Q. (2011). "World's Oldest Tiger Species Discovered". Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/17252-oldest-tiger-species-discovered.html.

Wikidata ☰ Q292596 entry

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