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Diamantofelis
''Diamantofelis'' is an extinct genus of Felidae, felids that lived in what is now Namibia during the Early Miocene. It contains a single species, ''Diamantofelis ferox.'' Discovery and naming This genus was described in 1998 on the basis of remains discovered at the locality of Arrisdrift in Namibia, which has been dated to 17.5 – 17 Ma. The holotype (AD 98'95), is a left mandible which includes the canine and cheek teeth. In 2003 various postcranial remains belonging to this genus were described. These include the first Phalanx bone, phalanx (AD 601'99) as well as, the proximal end of a left ulna (AD 112'94) Furthermore, the fragments of another ulna (AM 2'99), found at the slightly older locality Auchas, which dates to ca. 19 Ma, were referred to ''Diamantofelis''. A second species named ''Diamantofelis minor'' was originally described from the same locality, but has since been moved to the genus ''Namafelis''. These two genera are notable for being the first, and until the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Namafelis
''Namafelis'' is an extinct genus of felids that lived in what is now Namibia during the Early Miocene. It contains a single species, ''Namafelis minor.'' Closely related to ''Diamantofelis'', it is of “''Pseudaelurus''-grade”, and therefore a rather basal member of the cat family. Discovery and naming Material of this species, including the holotype (AD 99'95), a left mandible including the cheek teeth, was discovered at the locality of Arrisdrift in Namibia, which has been dated to 17.5 – 17 Ma, and originally described as ''Diamantofelis minor.'' However, a 2003 study led by the same authors as its original description came to the conclusion that the differences were pronounced enough to erect the genus ''Namafelis''. It also described an almost complete left radius (AD 115 '98), the so far only known postcranial remains belonging to this taxon. Description ''Namafelis'' is comparable in size to a caracal or a large wildcat, making it significantly smaller than its ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Katifelis
''Katifelis'' is an extinct genus of felids that lived in what is now Kenya during the Early Miocene and is notable for its dental features, which are intermediate between basal and modern cats. It contains a single species, ''Katifelis nightingalei''. Discovery and naming The holotype; and so far only fossil, of ''Katifelis'' was discovered at the locality Kalodirr, which is part of the Lothidok Formation. The site is dated to 17.5 ± 0.2 Ma – 16.8 ± 0.2 Ma and located in West Turkana, Kenya. The type specimen KNM-WK17133 is a left mandibular fragment, containing the teeth p1-m1. Described in 2018, it is the second felid with transitional traits known from Early Miocene Africa, alongside the slightly older '' Asilifelis''. After the appearance of ''Katifelis'' during the late Burdigalian there are no fossil records of any African felids until the appearance of '' Machairodus'' around 12.5 Ma. The generic name is a combination of Swahili ''Kati'' (“intermediate”), ref ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Asilifelis
''Asilifelis'' is an extinct genus of small felid that lived in what is now Kenya during the Early Miocene. Despite its fragmentary remains, it is remarkable because of its small size and advanced dentition. It contains a single species, ''Asilifelis cotae''. Discovery and naming ''Asilifelis'' is only known from a single specimen: KNM RU 18349, a mandibular ramus, including the well-preserved teeth p4-m1, which is stored in the National Museums of Kenya. The fossil was discovered in rocks of the Hiwegi Formation on Rusinga Island in 1949, but was subsequently only mentioned once in scientific literature until its description by Lars Werdelin in 2012. The generic name is a combination of Swahili asili ("origin") and Latin felis ("cat"). The species name "cotae" honors Susanne Cote, who inspired Werdelin's interest in Miocene Africa. Description ''Asilifelis'' is much smaller than other Early Miocene felids, comparable in size to the smallest extant species, such as the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Felidae
Felidae () is the family of mammals in the order Carnivora colloquially referred to as cats, and constitutes a clade. A member of this family is also called a felid (). The term "cat" refers both to felids in general and specifically to the domestic cat (''Felis catus''). Felidae species exhibit the most diverse fur pattern of all terrestrial carnivores. Cats have retractile claws, slender muscular bodies and strong flexible forelimbs. Their teeth and facial muscles allow for a powerful bite. They are all obligate carnivores, and most are solitary predators ambushing or stalking their prey. Wild cats occur in Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas. Some wild cat species are adapted to forest habitats, some to arid environments, and a few also to wetlands and mountainous terrain. Their activity patterns range from nocturnal and crepuscular to diurnal, depending on their preferred prey species. Reginald Innes Pocock divided the extant Felidae into three subfamilies: the P ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Africanictis
''Africanictis'' is an extinct genus of carnivorous cat-like mammals belonging to the superfamily Aeluroidea, endemic to Africa for approximately , from 23.03 to 11.610 Ma, during the Miocene epoch. ''Africanictis'' is thought to have had an omnivorous—or more precisely hypercarnivorous to mesocarnivorous—diet. Taxonomy ''Africanictis'' was named by Morales et al. (1998). It was assigned to Stenoplesictidae Stenoplesictidae is the name of a polyphyletic family of extinct civet-like feliforms Feliformia is a suborder within the order Carnivora consisting of "cat-like" carnivorans, including cats (large and small), hyenas, mongooses, viverrids, an ... by Morlo et al. (2007).M. Morlo, E. R. Miller, and A. N. El-Barkooky. 2007. Creodonta and Carnivora from Wadi Moghra, Egypt. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 27(1):145-159 References Miocene feliforms Miocene mammals of Africa Prehistoric carnivoran genera {{paleo-carnivora-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Viverridae
Viverridae is a family of small to medium-sized, feliform mammals. The viverrids () comprise 33 species placed in 14 genera. This family was named and first described by John Edward Gray in 1821. Viverrids occur all over Africa, southern Europe, and South and Southeast Asia, across the Wallace Line. Their occurrence in Sulawesi and in some of the adjoining islands shows them to be ancient inhabitants of the Old World tropics. Characteristics Viverrids have four or five toes on each foot and half-retractile claws. They have six incisors in each jaw and molars with two tubercular grinders behind in the upper jaw, and one in the lower jaw. The tongue is rough with sharp prickles. A pouch or gland occurs beneath the anus, but there is no cecum. Viverrids are the most primitive of all the families of feliform Carnivora and clearly less specialized than the Felidae. In external characteristics, they are distinguished from the Felidae by the longer muzzle and tuft of facial vibrissae ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gallery Forest
A gallery forest is one formed as a corridor along rivers or wetlands, projecting into landscapes that are otherwise only sparsely treed such as savannas, grasslands, or deserts. The gallery forest maintains a more temperate microclimate above the river. Defined as long and narrow forest vegetation associated with rivers, gallery forests are structurally and floristically heterogeneous. The habitats of these forests differ from the surrounding landscapes because they are, for example, more nutrient-rich or moister and/or there is less chance of fires. The forests are sometimes only a few meters wide, because they depend on the water they lie along. Ecology characteristics The riparian zones in which they grow offer greater protection from fire which would kill tree seedlings. In addition, the alluvial soils of the gallery habitat are often of higher fertility and have better drainage than the soils of the surrounding landscape with a more reliable water supply at depth. As a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mustelidae
The Mustelidae (; from Latin ''mustela'', weasel) are a family of carnivorous mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, ferrets, martens, minks and wolverines, among others. Mustelids () are a diverse group and form the largest family in the suborder Caniformia of the order Carnivora. They comprise about 66 to 70 species in nine subfamilies. Variety Mustelids vary greatly in size and behaviour. The smaller variants of the least weasel can be under in length, while the giant otter of Amazonian South America can measure up to and sea otters can exceed in weight. Wolverines can crush bones as thick as the femur of a moose to get at the marrow, and have been seen attempting to drive bears away from their kills. The sea otter uses rocks to break open shellfish to eat. Martens are largely arboreal, while European badgers dig extensive tunnel networks, called setts. Only one mustelid has been domesticated; the ferret. Tayra are also kept as pets (although they requ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
"Crocodylus" Gariepensis
''"Crocodylus" gariepensis'' is an extinct species of crocodile that lived in southern Africa during the Early Miocene about 17.5 million years ago (Ma). Fossils have been found along a bank of the Orange River in Namibia, near its border with South Africa. Classification and Phylogeny When the species was named in 2003, it was hypothesized to be ancestral to the living Nile crocodile, ''Crocodylus niloticus''. During this time the fossil record of ''C. niloticus'' was thought to extend back into the Late Miocene, meaning that ''"C." gariepensis'' could have been a direct precursor to the species. More recent studies propose that ''C. niloticus'' first appeared much more recently, making ''"C." gariepensis'' an unlikely ancestor of the Nile crocodile. Moreover, the most recent phylogenetic studies of crocodiles place ''"C." gariepensis'' in an evolutionary position outside other living species of '' Crocodylus'', far from the position of ''C. niloticus''. Indeed, the species app ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orange River
The Orange River (from Afrikaans/Dutch: ''Oranjerivier'') is a river in Southern Africa. It is the longest river in South Africa. With a total length of , the Orange River Basin extends from Lesotho into South Africa and Namibia to the north. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean. The river forms part of the international borders between South Africa and Lesotho and between South Africa and Namibia, as well as several provincial borders within South Africa. Except for Upington, it does not pass through any major cities. The Orange River plays an important role in the South African economy by providing water for irrigation and hydroelectric power. The river was named the Orange River in honour of the Dutch ruling family, the House of Orange, by the Dutch explorer Robert Jacob Gordon. Other names include simply the word for river, in Khoekhoegowab orthography written as !Garib, which is rendered in Afrikaan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
