Palaeogale, von Meyer, 1846

Vianey-Liaud, Monique, Comte, Bernard, Marandat, Bernard, Peigné, Stéphane, Rage, Jean-Claude & Sudre, Jean, 2014, A new early Late Oligocene (MP 26) continental vertebrate fauna from Saint-Privat-des-Vieux (Alès Basin, Gard, Southern France), Geodiversitas 36 (4), pp. 565-622 : 610-611

cf. Palaeogale sp.

MATERIAL AND MEASUREMENTS (in mm). — Probably a left p3 missing its mesial base, SPV 620 (L of the preserved fragment = 2.58; w =1.25; L/w = 2.06; Ht = 2.14 mm).

DESCRIPTION

Ŋe crown is narrow and nearly symmetrical. Ŋere is a small accessory cuspid located labially at the distal basis of the main cuspid. Ŋe talonid is elongated, tapers backward and displays a low, longitudinal, medially-located crest.

COMPARISON AND DISCUSSION

Although fragmentary, this premolar cannot be assigned to hvereutherium thylacodes . It differs from the premolars, and especially from p3, of this hyaenodont in lacking a cingulid and in having an elongated talonid. Although the p3 of hvereutherium thylacodes is similar in length and in heigth (L = 2.64-2.97 for N = 8; Ht = 1.81-2.40 for N = 7), it is proportionally wider (width = 1.42-1.65 for N = 8; L/w = 1.77-1.93). If this tooth really is a p3, it belongs to an animal of approximately the size of the smallest species of the genus Palaeogale von Meyer, 1846 , such as P. felina ( Filhol 1877) . It differs in some details such as a less asymmetrical crown, less trenchant crests and the basal position of the distal accessory cuspid. Ŋe specimen from Saint-Privat-des-Vieux resembles more the p3 of larger, geologically younger species of Palaeogale , such as P. praehyaenoides Morlo, 1996 , of the early Miocene from the Mainz Basin ( Germany; Morlo 1996). However, the assignment of the specimen of Saint-Privat-des-Vieux remains uncertain pending further material is found.