First small-sized Dinofelis: Evidence from the Plio-Pleistocene of North Africa

We describe small-sized specimens of the metailurine felid Dinofelis from a new Plio-Pleistocene site in North Africa. Dinofelis is a genus of saber-toothed cats mainly recorded from East and South Africa with numerous leopard to jaguar-sized species. The described specimens, clearly smaller than all the other African Dinofelis, resemble isolated remains from the Late Pliocene of France and the Early Pleistocene of Africa. Present evidence suggests that our form represents a new species and/or new lineage of Dinofelis, smaller and probably occupying a different ecological niche compared to the previously known members of the genus, and thus it adds complexity to the high intraspecific competition among large carnivorans in the Plio-Pleistocene of Africa. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study describes a new small-sized species of Dinofelis from North Africa, which is smaller than previously known African Dinofelis and likely occupies a different ecological niche. This discovery adds complexity to the high intraspecific competition among large carnivorans in the Plio-Pleistocene of Africa.