Dinaelurus is a genus of the Nimravidae, an extinct family of feliform mammalian carnivores, also known as "false saber-toothed cats". Assigned to the subfamily Nimravinae, Dinaelurus was endemic to North America during the Oligocene epoch (30.8—20.6 mya), existing for approximately 10.2 million years.[1]

Dinaelurus
Temporal range: Late Eocene–Late Oligocene
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: Nimravidae
Subfamily: Nimravinae
Genus: Dinaelurus
Eaton, 1922
Species:
D. crassus
Binomial name
Dinaelurus crassus
Eaton, 1922

Taxonomy

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Dinaelurus was named by George Francis Eaton in 1922, with a single species, Dinaelurus crassus. It was assigned to Nimravinae by Flynn and Galiano in 1982.[2][3] One specimen was found in the John Day Formation in Oregon.

Description

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Dinaelurus had a skull extremely broad for its length and had conical teeth; it exhibited little or no development of sabertooth features and had more rounded cheek teeth with no serrated ridges. It had a relatively gracile skeleton[4] and may have had digitigrade feet.[5] It is believed that Dinaelurus was a cursorial predator that ran down its prey. This is suggested by the nimravid's short face[4] and large nostrils, similar to those of a cheetah, which is also a cursorial predator.[5]

Sources

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  1. ^ PaleoBiology Database: Dinaelurus, basic info
  2. ^ Flynn, John J. and Henry Galiano. 1982. Phylogeny of early Tertiary Carnivora, with a description of a new species of Protictis from the middle Eocene of northwestern Wyoming. American Museum Novitates.
  3. ^ Martin, Larry D. 1998. "Nimravidae." In Christine M. Janis, Kathleen M. Scott, Louis L. Jacobs (eds.), Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. 2 volumes (1998-2008).
  4. ^ a b Bryant, Harold N. (1996). "Nimravidae". In Donald R. Prothero and Robert J. Emry (ed.). The Terrestrial Eocene-Oligocene Transition in North America. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. p. 468. ISBN 0521433878.
  5. ^ a b Martin 1998, p. 228.