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A New Species of Machairodus from the Late Miocene Kalmakpai Locality in Eastern Kazakhstan (USSR)

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A New Species of Machairodus from the Late Miocene Kalmakpai Locality in Eastern Kazakhstan (USSR) Ann. Zool. Fennici 28:361 -369 ISSN 000 3-455X Helsinki 19 February 1992 © 1992 Finnish Zoological Publishing Board A new species of Machairodus from the late Miocene Kalmakpai locality in eastern Kazakhstan (USSR) M. V. Sotnikova Sotnikova, M. v., Geo logical Institute, USS R Academy ojSciences. Pysh evskii per. 7, 1090/7 Moscow, U.S.S.R. Received 20 August 1990, accepted November 1990 A new species, Machairodus kurt eni is described from the late Miocene locality Kalmakpai in eastern Kazakhstan (USSR). Other Vallesian and Turolian species of Ma chairodu s in the USSR are discussed. Evolutionary changes appear to have taken place in the genus Machairodus during the Turolian.In the morphology of the dentition, M. kurteni is intermediate between Ma chairodus and Homotherium . 1. Introduction the following mammal taxa: Vorm ela sp., Manes sp., Plesiogulo crassa Teilhard, Adcrocuta eximia The fossil locality of Kalmakpai (Fig. J) was (Roth & Wagner), Hyaenictitherium hyaenoides discovered by a geologist, B. A. Borisov in 1960. orlovi Semenov, Machairodus kurteni Sotnikova, It is located in the Zaisan depression, 160 km SE Hipparion hippidiodus Sefve, H. elegans Grornova, of the town Zaisan in Kazakhstan, USSR. The Chilot herium sp., Sin otherium zaisa nens is Karabulak suite on the right bank of the Kal­ Bayshashov, Cervavitus sp., Pro capreolus sp., makpai River is lithologically subdivided into Samotheriutn sp., Paleotrag us (Yuorlovia ) asia­ two parts: the upper, reddish-brown part, 30 m ticus Godina, Tragocerus sp., and Gazella dorca ­ thick, and the lower, yellowish grey one, 29.4 m doides Schl.(Dmitrieva 1977, Zhegallo 1966, 1978, thick. The mammalian fauna of Kalmakpai has Godina 1979, Bayshashov 1986, Sernenov 1989). been found in the upper part (Borisov 1964). An analysis of the Kalmakpai fauna indicates Abundant fossil material has been obtained that the complex is largely dominated by Turolian from the locality during excavations carried out forms. Most of the mammalian genera reported by the Palaeontological Institute (PIN) of the from Kalmakpai have a wide stratigraphic range USSR Academy of Sciences in 1961- 1967. The limited by the end of the Turolian. These include Kalmakpai fauna has been tentatively dated to Chilotherium , Sinotherium, Tragocerus, Adem­ the Pliocene (Ruscinian) on the basis of the geo­ cuta and Hya enictitheriuin. The evolutionary logical position of the Karabulak Fm. in the level of the genera Hvaenictitheriiun and Ma ­ Neogene sequence in the Zaisan depression. The chairodu s places the Kalmakpai fauna in the late Kalmakpai locality is currently known to contain Turolian. 362 Sotnikova : A lI ell' sp ecies ofMacltairodus • ANN. ZOOL. FENNICI Vol. 28 sn <0 E £ Mammal locality, Kalm akpai, is a Mach airodus skull, excellently ~ '" Q) m E oi ~ ·cC £U Q) E 2 (8 = small, L = large Q) Ol E Q) preser ved , and three lower jaws. Th is material is '0e-'" "f(j ~ mammals), paleo- E ~'" tfr0 '" e described as a new species of Maclut irodu s. i= U5'" -''" E'" :2: 2 we.. magnetic polarity e e 5 ' Q) .Q c ' - Q) U, '" E ''"C e.. () &:§ MN14 ~ ~ Kalmakpay L + 6 MN13 C c 0 Pavlodar SL - 2. Systematic description '" o, 7 Q) 0 MN12 e .!:Q Taraklia L + :::J '0 Order CA RN IVO RA Bowdich, 1821 -''" Q) 8 I- Famil y FELIDAE Gray, 1821 :2:'" Q) MN11 Subfamily MACH AIRODONTI NA E G ill, 1872 c Grebeniki L + 9 Q) e Q) Genu s Mach airodus Kaup , 1833 o tii 0 '" c sn MN10 ", -' 10 :2: Q) Machairodus kurteni sp. 11.1 "' ~ E:g Q) >'" I 11 MN 9 ~ ~ Kalla 8L + Holotype: Skull with Iq\ C , P"-M (nasal, '0 '0 (j) frontal and bullae region s cru shed ), PIN 2433/ 12 :2: 287. Oth er material: Pair of mandibles with 11_." C, Fig. 1. The strat igraphic and paleomagnetic position of P' ..j, M I, broken behind the tooth row, PIN 2433/ miocene mammal localities in the USSR (Pevzner & 524; right mandible with C, PrM" broken be­ Vang enge im 1990 ). hind the tooth row, PIN 2433/287. Type locality: Kalmakpai,USSR, Kazakhstan, In the Kal makpai section the bone-bearing Za isa n depression , Karabulak Fm. (upper part ). beds are con fined to a zone of norm al magneti­ Age : Turol ian (Late Mioce ne), MN 13. zation (Jakhimov ich, pel's. cornrn.) and correlates with the lower part of the palaeom agnetic epoc h Diagnosis: A large Maclutirodus. P" present. 5. Co nsequently, the Kalmakpai fauna may be Diastema I'-C small. The incisors are close to each allocated to the zo ne MN 13. other and form an arc. P ~ narrow. Lower canine Th e Kalrnakpai Carnivora have not been studied in detail except Hyaenictitherium liyae­ I The species is named in honour of Dr. Bj orn Kurten. who noides orlovi, described by Se menov ( 1989). has made a significant contribution to the study of fossil Among the material obtained by exc avation at Carnivora. Table 1. Measurements (mm) of Machairodus skulls . Machairodus M. giganteus M. palanderi Zd. kutteni sp. n. taracliensis Riab. (Chang 1957) Length of skull 308 .0 310 .5 363.0a Condylobasal length 271.0 275.0 327 .0a Basal length 251.0 255 .0 297a Palatal length 133.0 140 .0 158.0, 159.0a Zygomatic width 165.0 168.0 204a Rostral width across cs_cs 66.2 67.8 Width across p4_p4 101.4 110.0 113.0 Width across p 2_p2 61.4 70.0 Postorbital width 88 .0 96.0 114.0a Condylar width 53.8 62 .7 72.0a a Measurements made on Plate I fig. 1 of Chang 1957. AN N. ZOOL. FENN ICI Vo l. 28 • Sotnikova: A nelt' species of Mach airodus 363 Fig. 2. Machairodus kurteni, Kalmakpai (PIN-2433/287), skull, ventral and lateral view . closer to the incisor row than in other species of mm ). Infraorbital foramen above the paracone of Macha irodus. Lower premolars shorter than in P' large, vertical diameter 15 mm . Postorbital other Macha irodus spec ies . Metaconid-talonid processes of frontal massive and short. The bullae co mplex abse nt from lower ca rnassi al. we re presumably large, with an ave rage length of about 39 mm. Ex ternal auditory meatus Description rou nded and large, located be tween mastoid A large Machairodu s (Tables 1- 3). proc ess and glenoid fossa. Mastoid process well­ Skull (Fig. 2) about the size of that in an developed, its lower dorsal edge nearly reaching Afr ican lion. Th e skull height in the bullae re­ the level of the glenoid fossa.Sagittal cres t high. gion is half as great as its basal length. Pre­ Occipital crest also well developed . maxillary massive, incisor row slightly protrud­ Teeth possibly initially serrated, but serration ing in relation to cani ne. Diastema I-'-C' small (5.5 preserved only on upper and lower canines . Inci- 364 Sotnikova: A new species of Machairodus • AN N. ZOOL. FENNICI Vol. 28 posterior width 9.4 mm. Th e blade of P! (car­ nassial ) co ns ists of fo ur cu sp s, prep ar astyle Me present , protocone wea k with a n at tip , inner roo t 18 closely pressed to the other roo ts. P" in M. kurteni is prop orti onally narrower than that in other spe­ cies of the ge nus Machairodus (Fig. 3).M I sma ll, single-rooted, situated at right angles to P ~. Mp Mandible (Fig. 4) high (sy mphys ial height 72.5 mm). Incisors and canine situated high above Mg the level of the cheek teeth . Incisors close to each other, their tips directed upw ard to form a 16 Mp Mp single co ntact sys tem with the low er canine (Fig. E SA). In Homotherium the incisors are morpho­ .s logically similar. Early Turolian Machairodus, i.e. ..c: -0 M. gig ante us (Wagner) from Taraklia (Fig. 5B) , ;: Mk has -a broader symphysis, incisors set in a broad ~o.. arc , their tips directed forward, the canin e sepa­ H1 14 rated from the incisor row by a sma ll diastem a. There are two large mental foramina, one under H1 the first root of P, the other under the middl e part of the diastem a C i - P~. Mandible flange for pro­ H2 tection of upper ca nine sabre present and bound ed by distin ct ment al crests trending along the dor­ sal and posterior borde r of the flange. Masseteric H2 12 +------ --,---- -------,-- fossa relative ly deep, its anterior margin reaching 30 40 50 the level of the posterior roo t of MI. P.1 four­ cusped, the fourth posterior cusp weak, formed p 4 length (mm) by the basal cingulum. Blade of P, is also four­ Fig. 3. Relationship between width and length of p 4 in cu sped . Anterior cusp in clo se co ntact with the Machairodus and Homotherium. - Me: Machairodus main one, with a slightly backward inclination; copei (Grebeniki), Mp:·Machairodus palanderi (China,) two posterior cu sps also inclined. Anterior edge Mg : Machairodus giganteus (Taraklia), Mk: Machairodus kurteni (Kalmakpai), H1: Homotherium (Upper Valdarno and Olivola), H2: Homotherium (Kuruksay). Table 2. Measurements (mm) of upper dentit ion of Machairodus kurteni (PIN 2433-287). Right Left sors large, set in an arc with width (P-P) 49 mrn, length width length width and closer to canine than in other species of 11 9.0 5.6 8.9 6.0 Machairo dus. The third inci sor in clo se contact 12 10.5 8.0 11.0 with F. The upper canines broken and worn, /3 14.1 11.5 14.5 possibly during the animal's life, large, with ser­ CS 13.0 33.3 13.0 2 rated anterior and posteri or edges.
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