Nimravus intermedius ( Filhol, 1872 )

Bonis, Louis de, Gardin, Axelle & Blondel, Cécile, 2019, Carnivora from the early Oligocene of the ‘ Phosphorites du Quercy’ in southwestern France, Geodiversitas 41 (15), pp. 601-621 : 616

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5252/geodiversitas2019v41a15
publication LSID	urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9DD3CC29-3AEA-44B8-8E8F-6AD882DF5B1C
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3703556
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A48799-1A71-FF8F-FF51-FF546FFDF9C1
treatment provided by	Valdenar
scientific name	Nimravus intermedius ( Filhol, 1872 )
status

Treatment

Nimravus intermedius ( Filhol, 1872)

( Fig. 5E View FIG , H-J)

TYPE SPECIMEN. — Holotype by monotypy: left hemi-mandible with m1, MNHN.F.QU9551, in Filhol 1873.

NEW MATERIAL. — Right p4 UP LPL5; left P4 UP LPL4; right m1 UP LPL1711.

REMARKS

This species is common in the old Quercy collections and constitutes the largest sample of Quercy nimravids. It is present in the three MP 22 localities, La Plante2, Mas de Got and Valbro. The number of specimens recovered from all the Quercy localities provides an overall view of the species and a good idea of the intra-specific size variation (see Peigné 2003). For example, in lion m1 length (data from Turner 1984) the extreme values are 25.2 and 30.8 mm for a mean of 28.1, the index (difference divided by mean) × 100 = 19.9. In N. brachyops the indices are 19.9 for P4 and 23.8 for m1. In N. intermedius the indices are 32.7 (P4) and 50.35 (m1), both higher than in N. brachyops. A major part of the sample of N. intermedius is recorded in the old Quercy collections without any biostratigraphic data and extends over several million years. One explanation may be a progressive change in the size during this time, with the oldest specimens being smaller than the more recent ones. An increase in size of the p4 was also noted ( Peigné et al. 2014: 28). Perhaps future researches will confirm the increase in size in N. intermedius , although in North America a larger range of time did not show a similar increase in N. brachyops.

DESCRIPTION

The p4 LPL5 is relatively small and low (L =11.7, w = 4.2 mm) when compared to other specimens of N. intermedius (range: L = 10.9-19.4, w = 4.5-19.2 mm in Peigné 2003). The pacd is larger than the aacd and the buccal base is underlined by a clear cingulid ( Fig. 5H View FIG 1 View FIG , H 2 View FIG ). The relatively small size of a lower Oligocene tooth could confirm the probable increase of size at younger localities. The P4 (UP LPL4) with L = 18.8 mm, w = 9.85, Lmts = 7, wmst = 4.7, is within the range of the smaller P4 of N. intermedius ( Fig. 5E, I View FIG ). The lower carnassial (UP LPL1711), with a length of 15.7 mm ( Fig. 5J View FIG 1-J View FIG 3 View FIG ), is slightly smaller than the smallest m1 (L = 16 mm) in Peigné (2003).