Albanosmilus is an extinct genus of the family Barbourofelidae.[1] It lived during Middle and Late Miocene in Eurasia and North America.[2][3]


Classification

Bryant in his 1991 considered Albanosmilusas a member of the false sabre-toothed cat family Nimravidae.[4] However, Albanosmilus was eventually considered part of the Barbourofelidae, considered a synonym of Sansanosmilus. However, by 2013 it was considered a valid genus with two species: Albanosmilus jourdani, the type species (with synonyms Albanosmilus vallesiensis, Barbourofelis vallesiensis) and Albanosmilus whitfordi (with synonyms Barbourofelis whitfordi).[2] In the recent years, some studies suggest Barbourofelidae were actually members of the Nimravidae, under the subfamily Barbourofelinae.[5][6]

Description

A. jourdani could weigh around 80–100 kg (180–220 lb), making it one of the largest members within Barbourofelidae, just behind Barbourofelis.[7] A. whitfordi is described to being smaller than the North American species of Barbourfelis.[8]

Paleobiology

Isotopic analysis suggests A. jourdani and Machairodus were specialized on different prey even if they inhabit similar habitats, they suggest the arrival of M. aphanistus may have led to the extinction of A. jourdani.[9] Coprolites likely referable to this genus were described in 2023, which may suggest that Albanosmilus was an apex predator in this locality.[10]

A. jourdani disappeared from the Iberian Peninsula around 9.1 Ma.[11]

References

  1. ^ Albanosmilus in the Paleobiology Database
  2. ^ a b Robles, Josep M.; Alba, David M.; Fortuny, Josep; Esteban-Trivigno, Soledad De; Rotgers, Cheyenn; Balaguer, Jordi; Carmona, Raül; Galindo, Jordi; Almécija, Sergio; Bertó, Juan V.; Moyà-Solà, Salvador (2013). "New craniodental remains of the barbourofelid Albanosmilus jourdani(Filhol, 1883) from the Miocene of the Vallès-Penedès Basin (NE Iberian Peninsula) and the phylogeny of the Barbourofelini". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 11 (8): 993–1022. doi:10.1080/14772019.2012.724090. S2CID 85157737.
  3. ^ Tseng, Z. Jack; Takeuchi, Gary T.; Wang, Xiaoming (January 2010). "Discovery of the Upper Dentitle of Brbourofelis whitfordi (Nimravidae, Carnivora) and an Evaluation of the Genus in California". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 30 (1): 244–254. doi:10.1080/02724630903416001.
  4. ^ Bryant, H. N. (1991). "Phylogenetic relationships and systematics of the Nimravidae (Carnivora)". Journal of Mammalogy. doi:10.2307/1381980. JSTOR 1381980.
  5. ^ Wang, Xiaoming; White, Stuart C.; Guan, Jian (2 May 2020). "A new genus and species of sabretooth, Oriensmilus liupanensis (Barbourofelinae, Nimravidae, Carnivora), from the middle Miocene of China suggests barbourofelines are nimravids, not felids". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 18 (9): 783–803. doi:10.1080/14772019.2019.1691066. S2CID 211545222.
  6. ^ Barrett, P. Z.; Hopkins, W. S. B.; Price, S. A. (2021). "How many sabertooths? Reevaluating the number of carnivoran sabertooth lineages with total-evidence Bayesian techniques and a novel origin of the Miocene Nimravidae". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 41 (1): e1923523. doi:10.1080/02724634.2021.1923523. S2CID 236221655.
  7. ^ Domingo, Laura; Domingo, M. Soledad; Koch, Paul L.; Alberdi, M. Teresa (May 10, 2017). "Carnivoran resource and habitat use in the context of a Late Miocene faunal turnover episode". Palaeontology. 60 (4): 461–483.
  8. ^ Tseng, Z. Jack; Takeuchi, Gary T.; Wang, Xiaoming (January 2010). "Discovery of the Upper Dentitle of Brbourofelis whitfordi (Nimravidae, Carnivora) and an Evaluation of the Genus in California". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 30 (1): 244–254. doi:10.1080/02724630903416001.
  9. ^ Domingo, Laura; Domingo, M. Soledad; Koch, Paul L.; Alberdi, M. Teresa (May 10, 2017). "Carnivoran resource and habitat use in the context of a Late Miocene faunal turnover episode". Palaeontology. 60 (4): 461–483.
  10. ^ Gross, Martin; Prieto, Jérôme; Grímsson, Friðgeir; Bojar, Hans-Peter (2023-07-26). "Hyena and 'false' sabre-toothed cat coprolites from the late Middle Miocene of south-eastern Austria". Historical Biology: 1–20. doi:10.1080/08912963.2023.2237979. ISSN 0891-2963.
  11. ^ Domingo, Laura; Domingo, M. Soledad; Koch, Paul L.; Alberdi, M. Teresa (May 10, 2017). "Carnivoran resource and habitat use in the context of a Late Miocene faunal turnover episode". Palaeontology. 60 (4): 461–483.
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