Paramachaerodus sp.

Tsoukala, Evangelia, Nagel, Doris, Youlatos, Dionisios, Crégut-Bonnoure, Evelyne, Vlachos, Evangelos & Spassov, Nikolai, 2024, Primates And Carnivores From Late Miocene And Earliest Late Pliocene Sites Of Macedonia, Northern Greece, Fossil Imprint 80 (2), pp. 362-389 : 376-380

Paramachaerodus sp. (? P. schlosseri (WEITHOFER, 1888))

Text-figs 12a, b, 13

L o c a l i t y. Thermopigi.

M a t e r i a l. Upper canine right SIT 712, humerus left

SIT 711.

D e s c r i p t i o n. The upper canine is almost complete and well preserved. Only the tip of the crown is missing. The canine is long and straight, generally flattened, and slender, with two sharp mesial and distal longitudinal crests, and no sign of crenulation. The lingual side is flatter than the buccal side, which is more rounded. The root is well developed, almost half the height of the tooth ( Text-fig. 12b); dimensions in Table 5.

The humerus retains the distal epiphysis, with the greater part of diaphysis slender and relatively straight; it is well preserved. The fossa olecrani is deep, with a heavy epicondylus medialis, weak epicondylus lateralis, rather short trochlea with a swallow fossa radialis and coronoidea, but a strong capitulum humeri. The foramen supracondylaris is large, with a high (proximal) position, and its external wall bends slightly forward; dimensions in Table 5.

D i s c u s s i o n. The dimensions of the upper canine

SIT 712 fall well within the size range of Paramachaerodus ( Text-fig. 13), but the lack of serration makes it necessary to discuss this specimen further. There are several possible sabre-toothed cats to consider. Firstly, the genus Yoshi SPASSOV et GERAADS, 2014 , then Metailurus ZDANSKY, 1924 , Paramachaerodus PILGRIM, 1913 and Pontosmilus KRETZOI, 1929 . Three of these four genera have canines without serration: Yoshi , Paramachaerodus , and Metailurus , so Pontosmilus can be excluded, according to Jiangzuo et al. (2022). These authors resurrect the species Paramachaerodus schlosseri (WEITHOFER, 1888) , originally described from Pikermi, accept Pa. ogygia KAUP, 1833 and Pa. transasiaticus LI et SPASSOV, 2017 and added a new species, Pa. yingliangi JIANGZOU et al., 2022 . They exclude the species orientalis KITTL, 1887 and maximiliani ZDANSKY,

1924 from Paramachaerodus , and place them in the Asian genus Pontosmilus , as Kretzoi previously did. Jiangzuo et al. (2022) describe the main differences between the two genera as the presence of serrations on canines and cheek teeth, the distinct P4 preparastyle in Pontosmilus and the absence of these features in Paramachaerodus . They question the presence of Metailurus in Europe, and assume only an Asian distribution for this genus. We adopt the taxonomic decision proposed by Jiangzuo et al. (2022), albeit with caution, and we believe that further studies are needed to clarify these taxonomic questions. Previously described early and middle Turolian Paramachaerodus material from Bulgaria and North Macedonia does not fit into this taxonomic scheme, as the canines and the cheek teeth are serrated and a minute preparastyle is observed in some of them (Kiro Kuchuk locality; Li and Spassov 2017, Spassov et al. 2018, 2019).

orientalis .

Pa Pikermi *** NHML 59.10 39.80 is orientalis schlosseri

Possessing difficult) (or to if only to judge we Pa one accept. transasiaticus whether upper the the canine generic specimen, taking from separation into Thermopigi belongs account from to Pa Po, the it..

aforementioned taxonomic issues: from a biochronological. point of view, the assignment to Pa. transasiaticus seems sp logical. In this case, the “missing” serrations in SIT 712 Paramachaerodus P. (? SIT) schlosseri 711 59.34 30.00 38.35 21.68 27.92 18.48 9.00 8.67 20.38 18.33 25.50 20.00 on At could caused tentatively the this be lack by stage due mechanical to of, to Paramachaerodus serration we a higher include abrasion, albeit age the of only in material the sp the. provisionally (individual? P taphonomic. schlosseri from Thermopigi or. could The) context, based size be. of the canine is too large to be attributed to Yoshi (Tab. 5).. In Greece, humeral dimensions match well with supracond (the Paramachaerodus Roussiakis Pikermi et al specimen. 2006 orientalis ) [= (P NHML. schlosseri PILGRIM M 8960 sensu, 1931) Jiangzuo attributed (MN et 12 al to).

med min s

.

olecrani

art

. lat foram f.

min (2022)], also reported in Nea Silata in Chalkidiki (MN 13/ Humerus DT distal DAP distal DT distal H trochlea trochlea H H trochlea max D bone DAP DT fossa DT dia DAP dia dia DAP MN C 14 o) m (Koufos m e n t. 2022 For explanation a). of the use of the spelling of the genus as Paramachaerodus rather than Paramachairodus )

.

(with an “ i ”) also used by Zdansky (1924), see Salesa et al.

text in

garevskii ** Karaslari

abbreviations minor Yoshi **. N Macedonia 13.20 8.90 22.00 67.42 (2010 Subfamily) Genus. Pristifelis Felinae PFSEIGNÉ ISCHER ALESA, 2012 , [ADE NTÓN WALDHEIM, MORALES], 1817 et See

.

)

(

mm

cf

Yoshi

. Kalimantsi Bulgaria 10.40 7.10 25.00 68.26 L o c a l i t Pristifelis y. Thermopigi Text-fig attica . (. W12 AGNER c–e, 1857)

in

(M a t e r i a l. Radius distal right SIT 1492; ulna proximal *

humeri and Batallones 15.20 9.00 with right D SIT e most s c 1493 r i p of t, distal i o the n. The metapodial diaphysis radius retains SIT slender 710 the., distal dorso-palmarly epiphysis, canines of orientalis * Maragheh 12 MN 17.00 9.60

et. al 2006 epiphysis preserved styloideus compressed length is is, intense with well-developed is a 68 gentle, and mm the curvature (dimensions well-developed mediolaterally (Text-fig in Tab. incisura The.. 12 6). c The processus 1–3 ulnaris) distal. The measurements. Pa * Minero PM 575 11 16.71 8.06 Roussiakis, *** oval oval medially scapholunar The shape and ulna flattened prominent. is preserves concave, with. The the most, with distal proximal of a the latero-medially articular diaphysis part, markedly surface being elongated for slender latero- the

.

Comparative sp.

)

Puente MN 2014 Geraads in Its fig and. Tab proximal 12 almost d. 1 6 –) 3. straight). The border The olecranon preserved, showing is roughly length is only well-developed horizontal a is gentle 87 mm curvature, and (dimensions and continues (Texthigh.

Thermopigi

SIT

)

(

Paramachaerodus (. ? schlosseri P 712 SIT 15.44 9.56 85.60 37.50 61.92 **, Spassov and part color medially articulation semilunaris of and the to condition olecranon and for show the the a of radius beak) ridge are the (well-developed processus fossil is along small indicate its and anconaeus caudal oval probably. The. The margin dimensions = foremost the incisura. right The,

,

2010 limb The of the metapodial same individual preserves.

Felids 100 al. et medial crest running posteriorly the (Text-fig distal. trochlea 12e). Dimensions, with the

Table

.

5

Canine C L B C H C H crown

)

B (

*

L I / Salesa * are 6.26 8.20 DT mm mm distal.. The 9.20 diaphysis mm, DT is dist rounded. art. 8.10, with mm a, diameter DAP distal of

D e s c r i p t i o n. The distal part with the cochlea is well preserved, whereas stigmata on the bone are indicative of weathering, rolling or transport. The diaphysis appears to be straight and stout. The anterior crista is pronounced towards the tibial malleolus, while the sulcus malleoli tibiae and incisura fibularis are well marked. The malleolus tibiae is well developed and broad ( Text-fig. 14, Tab. 7).

D i s c u s s i o n. Small felid postcranial remains are rarely described in contrast with cranial remains, so comparison and discussion are limited. Few dimensions show similarity with P. attica from Pikermi ( Roussiakis 2002; Tab. 5). The type species of the genus Pristifelis is Felis attica WAGNER, 1857 . The genus Pristifelis , termed “primitive Felis ”, was established in by Salesa et al. (2012), with the oldest occurrence 11.6 Ma and the youngest 7.25 Ma, restricting the genus Felis to more recent taxa. In Greece, Pristifelis attica has been reported from Pikermi (MN 11/12, type locality of type species) ( Roussiakis 2002), from locality A and some unknown locality(-ies) of Samos Island of MN 12–13 ( Solounias 1981, Koufos 2022a). Arambourg and Piveteau (1929) initially reported Felis sp. from Vathylakkos 3, Axios Valley, of MN 11/12 ( Koufos 2000), which was later determined as Pristifelis attica by Salesa et al. (2012).