Panthera shawi

Short description: Extinct cat species from South African Pleistocene

Panthera shawi

Temporal range: Late Pliocene

PreЄ

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

†P. shawi

Binomial name
†Panthera shawi

(Broom, 1948)

Synonyms

* Felis shawi Broom, 1948
* Panthera leo shawi

Panthera shawi is an extinct prehistoric cat, of which a single canine tooth was excavated in Sterkfontein cave in South Africa by Robert Broom in the 1940s. It is thought to be the oldest known Panthera species in Africa.[1][2]

## Taxonomy

The original and holotype specimen, a single upper canine tooth from the Bolt's Farm locality, was described by Broom in 1948 as a new species named Felis shawi in honour of Professor Shaw.[3] Further material assigned to the species was recovered from the Kromdraai A and Swartkraans Member 2 localities.[4][5]

It was later considered a subspecies Panthera leo as Panthera leo shawi by some authors.[6][7][8] As of 2022, it was once more elevated to species rank as Panthera shawi.[2]

## Description

The canine tooth is about 12 mm (0.47 in) long and considerably larger and thicker at the base than of a modern lion. The tooth crown measures 31 mm × 24 mm (1.22 in × 0.94 in) at the base and is 67.5 mm (2.66 in) long.[3]

## References

1. ↑ Sabol, M. (2011). "Masters of the lost world: a hypothetical look at the temporal and spatial distribution of lion-like felids". Quaternaire 4: 229–236. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287422796.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Hemmer, H. (October 19, 2022). "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. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12549-022-00542-2.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Broom, R. (1948). "Some South African Pliocene and Pleistocene mammals". Annals of the Transvaal Museum 21 (I): 1–38. https://journals.co.za/doi/10.10520/AJA00411752_457.
4. ↑ Ewer, R. (1956). "The fossil carnivora of the Transvaal Caves: Felinae". Proceedings Zoological Society London 126: 83–95. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1956.tb00426.x.
5. ↑ Turner, Alan (1990). "Late Neogene/Lower Pleistocene Felidae of Africa: Evolution and Dispersal". Quartärpaläontologie 8: 247–256.
6. ↑ Kurtén, B. (1960). "The age of the Australopithecinae". Stockholm Contributions in Geology 6: 9–22.
7. ↑ Hemmer, H. (1967). "Fossilbelege zur Verbreitung und Artgeschichte des Löwen, Panthera leo (Linné, 1758)". Säugetierkundliche Mitteilungen 15: 289–300.
8. ↑ Hemmer, H. (1974). "Untersuchungen zur Stammesgeschichte der Pantherkatzen (Pantherinae). Teil III: Zur Artgeschichte des Löwen – Panthera (Panthera) leo (Linnaeus 1758)". Veröffentlichungen der Zoologischen Staatssammlung München 17: 167–280.

Wikidata ☰ Q56605486 entry

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