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Pleistocene Big Cats
Freak Felids - A Discussion of History's Largest Felines
Freak Felids - A Discussion of History's Largest Felines
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Freak Felids - A Discussion of History's Largest Felines
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Evolutionary History of Saber-Toothed Cats Based on Ancient Mitogenomics Paijmans et al., 2017
 *This image is copyright of its original author Figure 1: Calibrated Phylogeny for Smilodon and Homotherium Time-calibrated mitochondrial phylogeny of the Felidae, including the saber-toothed cat Smilodon and scimitar-toothed Homotherium. Node support is indicated by Bayesian posterior probabilities (see Figure S2 for RAxML phylogeny and bootstrap values). Calibrated nodes are indicated with a star (see also Table 2). Blue node bars indicate the 95% credibility interval of divergence times. The lower axis shows millions of years. Homotherium artwork was provided by Binia De Cahsan. The image of the mandible is adapted from [4]. See also Figures S1 and S2. Highlights
"Saber-toothed cats (Machairodontinae) are among the most widely recognized representatives of the now largely extinct Pleistocene megafauna. However, many aspects of their ecology, evolution, and extinction remain uncertain. Although ancient-DNA studies have led to huge advances in our knowledge of these aspects of many other megafauna species (e.g., mammoths and cave bears), relatively few ancient-DNA studies have focused on saber-toothed cats [1, 2, 3], and they have been restricted to short fragments of mitochondrial DNA. Here we investigate the evolutionary history of two lineages of saber-toothed cats (Smilodon and Homotherium) in relation to living carnivores and find that the Machairodontinae form a well-supported clade that is distinct from all living felids. We present partial mitochondrial genomes from one S. populator sample and three Homotherium sp. samples, including the only Late Pleistocene Homotherium sample from Eurasia [4]. We confirm the identification of the unique Late Pleistocene European fossil through ancient-DNA analyses, thus strengthening the evidence that Homotherium occurred in Europe over 200,000 years later than previously believed. This in turn forces a re-evaluation of its demography and extinction dynamics. Within the Machairodontinae, we find a deep divergence between Smilodon and Homotherium (∼18 million years) but limited diversity between the American and European Homotherium specimens. The genetic data support the hypothesis that all Late Pleistocene (or post-Villafrancian) Homotherium should be considered a single species, H. latidens, which was previously proposed based on morphological data [5, 6]."
Did saber-tooth kittens grow up musclebound? A study of postnatal limb bone allometry in felids from the Pleistocene of Rancho La Brea Long et al., 2017
 *This image is copyright of its original author Table 1. Humerus data of various mammals.  *This image is copyright of its original author Table 3. Radius data of various mammals.  *This image is copyright of its original author Table 5. Femoral data of various mammals.  *This image is copyright of its original author Table 7. Tibia data of various mammals. Abstract: "Previous studies have demonstrated that the Pleistocene saber-toothed cat Smilodon fatalis had many forelimb adaptations for increased strength, presumably to grapple with and subdue prey. The Rancho La Brea tar pits yield large samples of juvenile limb bones forming a growth series that allow us to examine how Smilodon kittens grew up. Almost all available juvenile limb bones were measured, and reduced major axis fits were calculated to determine the allometric growth trends. Contrary to expectations based on their robust limbs, Smilodon kittens show the typical pattern of growth found in other large felids (such as the Ice Age lion, Panthera atrox, as well as living tigers, cougars, servals, and wildcats) where the limb grows longer and more slender faster than they grow thick. This adaptation is thought to give felids greater running speed. Smilodon kittens do not grow increasingly more robust with age. Instead, they start out robust and follow the ancestral felid growth pattern, while maintaining their robustness compared to other felids. Apparently, the growth of felid forelimbs is highly canalized and their ontogeny is tightly constrained."   *This image is copyright of its original author I'll be rolling these out for more bone types in time hopefully.
Comprehensive species set revealing the phylogeny and biogeography of Feliformia (Mammalia, Carnivora) based on mitochondrial DNA Zhou, Wang & Ma, 2017
 *This image is copyright of its original author Fig 2. Chronogram and ancestral area reconstructions of Feliformia. (A) Major changes in global sea levels modified from Haq et al. [56]. Epoch abbreviations are as follows: Paleocene (Pal); Eocene (Eoc); Oligocene (Oli); Miocene (Mio); Pliocene (Pli). (B) Continental elevation map. Contemporary distribution ranges of Feliformia are divided into six clearly defined areas: A, Europe and North Asia; B, South Asia; C, Africa; D, Madagascar; E, North America; F, South America. The circles with numbers represent lowland plains: ① Nile Valley, ② Mesopotamian Plain, and ③ Indo-Gangetic Plain. © Chronogram and ancestral area reconstructions of Feliformia. Fourteen time constraints used in the molecular dating are shown as red triangles. Red branch with black arrows indicates dispersal events. Blue horizontal bars represent 95% HPD intervals. At the top right, a color-coded square represents the six main regions corresponding to continental elevation Map (A). Less than 0.95 branch support values are indicated beside the nodes. The red dash lines on black circles represent vicariance events. Abstract: "Extant Feliformia species are one of the most diverse radiations of Carnivora (~123 species). Despite substantial recent interest in their conservation, diversification, and systematic study, no previous phylogeny contains a comprehensive species set, and no biogeography of this group is available. Here, we present a phylogenetic estimate for Feliformia with a comprehensive species set and establish a historical biogeography based on mitochondrial DNA. Both the Bayesian and maximum likelihood phylogeny for Feliformia are elucidated in our analyses and are strongly consistent with many groups recognized in previous studies. The mitochondrial phylogenetic relationships of Felidae were for the first time successfully reconstructed in our analyses with strong supported. When divergence times and dispersal/vicariance histories were compared with historical sea level changes, four dispersal and six vicariance events were identified. These vicariance events were closely related with global sea level changes. The transgression of sea into the lowland plains between Eurasia and Africa may have caused the vicariance in these regions. A fall in the sea level during late Miocene to Pliocene produced the Bering strait land bridge, which assisted the migration of American Feliformia ancestors from Asia to North America. In contrast with the ‘sweepstakes hypothesis’, our results suggest that the climate cooling during 30–27 Ma assisted Feliformia migration from the African mainland to Madagascar by creating a short-lived ice bridge across the Mozambique Channel. Lineages-through-time plots revealed a large increase in lineages since the Mid-Miocene. During the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum, the ecosystems and population of Feliformia rapidly expanded. Subsequent climate cooling catalyzed immigration, speciation, and the extinction of Feliformia." 
http://dinosaurworld.typepad.com/its_a_d...uar_f.html
Ice-Age Jaguar Found in Oregon Cave By Richard L. Hill From The Oregonian Long before people began visiting the Oregon Caves, ancient animals roamed the chilly cavern. The long list of fossils found inside includes salamanders, bats, mice, voles, mountain beaver, bears and birds. In 1995, researchers were amazed to discover a 14-inch skull and other bones of a 500-pound jaguar. "The bones were dated at being 38,600 years old, making it one of the oldest and most complete jaguar skeletons," said John Roth, natural resources specialist for Oregon Caves National Monument. The ice-age cat, about the size of a modern African lion, may have died on a remote ledge after becoming lost in the cave while hunting for prey. Kevin Seymour, a Canadian paleontologist and jaguar-fossil expert at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, is studying the bones. He said Oregon Caves is the farthest north and west that a jaguar fossil has ever been found. In addition to the jaguar, bear bones -- thought to be that of a grizzly -- have been dated to more than 50,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest grizzly-bear fossils ever found in North America. 
So if I am getting this right from what I've read so far....Pleistocene lions in Africa were larger than the large subspecies of the tigers, and equal or larger than both the Cave and American lions in size?
The pictures of skulls/root canal sizes I've seen from the African Pleistocene lions were quite impressive and seem to indicate a much bigger frame than almost any tiger, but tigers still seem to have a more slightly robust build (Manchurians, Trinil, and Ngandong versions much more so). (01-04-2018, 12:15 AM)brotherbear Wrote: http://dinosaurworld.typepad.com/its_a_d...uar_f.html Giant North American Jaguar
A Pleistocene Jaguar from North-Central Nebraska
(Schultz et.al., 1985) "The skull is from a very large jaguar with the skull not much arched. The cranium is elongated as is often the case in Panthera. The frontals are broad, flat, and covered with small foramina. The postorbital processes are well developed; the spenoidal opening large and anteriorly situated; and the basicranial region elongate. The auditory bullae extend ventrally about at the same level as the mastoid processes. The length of the p4 (27.5 mm) is small for P .. onca augusta being less than that of the type (33.1 mm) and also for the type of "Felis veroensis" (33.4 mm) which is also referable to P. onca augusta (Simpson, 1941:9). We have used Toohey's (1959) measurements for the skull (in mm): length from prosthionb~sion, 227.8; length from prosthion-staphylion, 108.2;..." Pleistocene North American jaguar (Panthera onca augusta) Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Genus: Panthera Species: P. onca Dimensions: length - 1,8 m, height - 85 сm, weight - 35-150 kg Temporal range: during the Early Pleistocene - Early Holocene epoch (1.8 mya—10,000 years ago) (North America) The Pleistocene North American jaguar is an extinct ancestor of our modern American big cat. It lived during the Pleistocene epoch (1.8 mya —10,000 years ago) throughout all of America, for about a good 10.2 million years. It has been suggested that the Pleistocene big cat entered the American hemisphere from Asia through the Beringia Land Bridge after it divided from the European jaguar (Panthera gombaszoegensis) about 1.5 million years ago. From there on it spread from northern America to the uppermost north of Argentine. It was much larger than our modern day jaguar (about 15 to 20%). The legs were about 6% longer, with the forefeet and hindfeet being about 9.5% longer. It is believed that this ancient big cat was much larger than the jaguars from today, as their remains were found norther of the extant jaguar populations, and thus farther away from the equator (since current populations found more north and south are also larger than those found in equatorial regions). To this day, many discoveries have been made of this animal’s remains. A very notable discovery was made in the early 90′s in the Blue Spring Cave in central Tennessee. The discovery in question was a well preserved trackway of about 1.6 km long. Although people are uncertain about whether these were made by the Pleistocene North American jaguar, a jaw bone found in the very same cave also belonged to the same animal, supporting the theory that the tracks, too, were made by our extinct big cat. Unfortunately, the exact age of these tracks are not known. It is, however, believed that they must be older than 11,500 years ago, because jaguars have not been in the area since then. However, the tracks might be 13,000 to 25,000 years old, or much older. Looks like P. onca augusta is more like 130-180 kilograms on average instead of the giant 230-kg average specimen popularized recently. In the Pleistocene, it also seems like the North American jaguar was larger than its southern counterpart with a more faint coat color. Pleistocene African Lion and Wanhsien Tiger Comparison
*please note that the tiger in this comparison is slightly shorter than the lion due to its more crouch-like position. 
Panthera tigris oxygnatha that dated from 1.8-1.6 mya.
The fragmented jaw is 8 inches and the crown of the lower canine is 4 inches. The fossil vendor even touts that this specimen is way more powerful than his largest Pleistocene lions. @tigerluver @peter @epaiva http://www.dinolandplus.com/animal-index/view/category/lions  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
@GrizzlyClaws , could you contact the seller and see if he could get a side view of the mandible with a scale in the photo? If this is the real deal I'd push to get this in my local scientific collection.
(02-10-2018, 09:00 PM)tigerluver Wrote: @GrizzlyClaws , could you contact the seller and see if he could get a side view of the mandible with a scale in the photo? If this is the real deal I'd push to get this in my local scientific collection. I am busy these days, maybe you can contact him by yourself? [email protected] Since you can ask him the much better elaborate questions which are suitable for your estimation.
Thanks @GrizzlyClaws , if there's anything worth following up on I will do so.
Panthera tigris oxygnatha: Giant, because the Sunda Shelf was exposed, and many mainland species migrated into the Sunda Shelf.
Panthera tigris trinilensis: Dwarf, because the Sunda Shelf disappeared, and all Sunda tigers got stuck in the islands and being affected by the insular dwarfism. Panthera tigris soloensis: Giant again, because the Sunda Shelf resurfaced again, and the Sunda tigers just got benefited from a new wave of migration from the mainland species. What do you think? @tigerluver @peter |
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