Patriofelis

Patriofelis
Temporal range: 50.3–46.2 Ma
↓
 Early-mid Eocene (Bridgerian)
Patriofelis ferox skeleton in storage at the American Museum of Natural History
Reconstruction of Patriofelis ferox
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: †Oxyaenodonta
Family: †Oxyaenidae
Subfamily: †Oxyaeninae
Genus: †Patriofelis
Leidy, 1872
Type species
†Patriofelis ulta
Leidy, 1870
Species
  • †Patriofelis ferox (Marsh, 1872)[1]
  • †Patriofelis ulta (Leidy, 1870)[2]
Synonyms[3]
synonyms of genus:
  • Aelurotherium (Adams, 1896)
  • Limnofelis (Marsh, 1872)
  • Oreocyon (Marsh, 1872)
synonyms of species:
  • P. ferox:
    • Aelurotherium bicuspis (Wortman, 1901)[4]
    • Aelurotherium latidens (Marsh, 1872)
    • Aelurotherium leidyana
    • Aelurotherium leidyanum
    • Limnofelis ferox
    • Limnofelis latidens (Marsh, 1872)
    • Oreocyon latidens (Marsh, 1872)[5]
    • Patriofelis latidens (Marsh, 1872)
    • Patriofelis leidyanus (Osborn & Wortman, 1892)
    • Patriofelis vorax
  • P. ulta:
    • Ambloctonus coloradensis (Matthew, 1909)[6]
    • Patriofelis coloradensis (Matthew, 1909)
    • Patriofelis compressa (Denison, 1937)[7]

Patriofelis ("father of cats") is an extinct genus of carnivorous placental mammals from the extinct subfamily Oxyaeninae within the extinct family Oxyaenidae. It was a large cat-like predator which lived in North America during the Bridgerian NALMA (part of the early-middle Eocene, 50.3-46.2 Ma). Fossils have been found in Wyoming, Colorado, and Oregon.[8]

Patriofelis could reach around 1.2 to 1.8 metres (3.9 to 5.9 ft) long, not including the tail. The type species Patriofelis ulta is most common in the lower Bridger Formation in the Bridger Basin of southwestern Wyoming. It has also been found in the Huerfano Formation of Colorado. Patriofelis ulta was a smaller species, weighing about 30 kilograms (66 lb).[8]

A second species, Patriofelis ferox, was originally known as Limnofelis. It was much larger than Patriofelis ulta, up to 100 kilograms (220 lb), close to the size of a large jaguar. It is most common in the Bridger Basin as well, both the lower Bridger and lower Washakie formations. Fossils of this species also occur in the Clarno Formation at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon.

Patriofelis had a broad short-snouted skull, short legs with broad plantigrade feet, and a relatively long tail. The teeth were very thick relative to other oxyaenids, similar to hyenas in some regards.[9][8]

  1. ^ O. C. Marsh. (1872.) "Preliminary description of new Tertiary mammals. Part II." American Journal of Science 4(21):202-224
  2. ^ J. Leidy, (1870.) Untitled [Patriofelis ulta proposed during Proceedings of the March 8 meeting of the Academy of Natural Sciences], in Proceedings Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Volume 22, p. 9-11.
  3. ^ J. Alroy. (2002.) "Synonymies and reidentifications of North American fossil mammals."
  4. ^ J. L. Wortman. (1901.) "Studies of Eocene Mammalia in the Marsh Collection, Peabody Museum." The American Journal of Science, series 4 12:193-206
  5. ^ O. C. Marsh. (1872.) "Note on a new genus of carnivores from the Tertiary of Wyoming." The American Journal of Science and Arts, series 3 4(19-24):406
  6. ^ W. D. Matthew. (1909.) "The Carnivora and Insectivora of the Bridger Basin, middle Eocene." Memoirs of the American Museum of Natural History 9:289-567
  7. ^ R. H. Denison. (1937.) "The broad-skulled Pseudocreodi." Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 37:163-257
  8. ^ a b c Kort, Anne E.; Ahrens, Heather; David Polly, P.; Morlo, Michael (2021-10-01). "Postcrania and paleobiology of Patriofelis ulta (Mammalia, Oxyaenodonta) of the Bridgerian (lower–middle Eocene) of North America". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 41 (6). doi:10.1080/02724634.2021.2045491. ISSN 0272-4634.
  9. ^ Neal Robbins (2006.) "Paleontology Discussions, Patriofelis - A Creodont"