Pangurban

Pangurban is an extinct genus of the family Nimravidae (the false saber-toothed cats), endemic to North America during the Eocene epoch (40–37 mya).[1] It contains a single species, Pangurban egiae. Occurring several million years before other named nimravids in North America, the discovery of this species suggests that hypercarnivores evolved and spread quickly after the warm middle Eocene.

Pangurban
Temporal range: Late Eocene
Premolar teeth of Pangurban holotype in occlusal view
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Family: †Nimravidae
Genus: †Pangurban
Poust et al., 2022
Species
  • P. egiae (Poust et al., 2022)

Etymology

The namesake for the generic name Pangurban comes from the eponymous white cat in the anonymous 9th century Irish poem Pangur Bán. [2] The species name honors scientist Naoko Egi. [1]

Description

P. egiae would have been cat-like in many respects, though since the holotype is incomplete most description would require comparison with close relatives. Using tooth dimensions, the body mass was estimated to be 28 kg (62 lb).[1] The species may have been the size of the smallest mountain lions.[3] Due to the close relationship with the better known nimravid Hoplophoneus, Pangurban may have had a similar appearance with a stocky build and a bony flange in its lower jaw to protect its saber-teeth.

References
Wikispecies has information related to Pangurban.
  1. Poust, Ashley; Barrett, Paul Z.; Tomiya, Susumu (2022). "An early nimravid from California and the rise of hypercarnivorous mammals after the middle Eocene climatic optimum". Biology Letters. 18 (10): 333–347. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2022.0291. hdl:2433/276689. S2CID 252818430.
  2. "Fossil's name recalls Augustana English class". Augustana News Center. October 17, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  3. Kragen, Pam (October 21, 2022). "Paleontologist announces discovery of second saber-tooth catlike species that once roamed San Diego area". The San Diego Union-Tribue. San Diego, California.


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