Huracan, Jiangzuo & Flynn & Wang & Hou & Deng, 2023

Jiangzuo, Qigao, Flynn, John J., Wang, Shiqi, Hou, Sukuan & Deng, Tao, 2023, New Fossil Giant Panda Relatives (Ailuropodinae, Ursidae): A Basal Lineage of Gigantic Mio-Pliocene Cursorial Carnivores, American Museum Novitates 2023 (3996), pp. 1-72 : 8

Huracan , gen. nov.

ETYMOLOGY: Name after Hunraqan or Hurakan ( Huracan in Carib [Karìna auran] or English, Huracán in Spanish), the Maya and Taíno god of wind and storm; in reference to the cursorial running adaptation and formidable power of the animal. Grammatically, this is the masculine gender in Spanish.

TYPE SPECIES: Agriotherium schneideri Sellards, 1916 .

INCLUDED SPECIES: Huracan schneideri (Sellards, 1916) and Huracan coffeyi ( Dalquest, 1986) from North America; Huracan qiui , sp. nov., and Huracan sp. (Yushe Basin) from East Asia; Huracan roblesi from Europe; and questionably?“ Huracan ” punjabiensis ( Lydekker, 1884) from South Asia.

DIAGNOSIS: Large to huge ailuropodine bear, moderately hypercarnivorous in dental features, and exhibiting substantial sexual dimorphism. Cranial condylobasal length 380–515 mm. Mandible often with premasseteric fossa. I1/I2 with large posterocentral accessory cusp and reduced posterolateral cusp; I3 and canines large and robust; anterior premolars (P1–3/p1–3) present, occasionally lost in numbers in Huracan schneideri , H. roblesi , and Huracan coffeyi ; P4 with large parastyle and variably (intraspecifically) subdivided hypocone; M1 slightly trapezoidal in shape; M2 equals M 1 in length, each with slightly developed talon; p4 with distinct anterior and posterior cingulid cusps, but lacks medial ridge; and m1 with elongate paraconid, and distinct metaconid and mesoconid.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS: Huracan differs from Indarctos , a paraphyletic assemblage of more basal taxa representing the nearest outgroups to a clade of the new genus plus Agriotherium , by having generally larger size (except I. oregonensis of similar size), upper I1/I2 with large posterocentral accessory cusp, P4 with larger parastyle, M2 with distinctly shorter talon, p4 with stronger anterior and posterior cingulid cuspids, m1 with more elongated paraconid, and presence of mandibular premasseteric fossa; Huracan differs from Agriotherium , its sister group, by generally larger size, and with upper I1/I2 with large posterocentral accessory cusp, P4 with more frequently subdivided hypocone, M1 more elongated, M2 with generally longer talon, p4 often without distinct medial ridge, and m1 with presence of large metaconid and two smaller entoconids.