Leopardus pardalis (Linnaeus, 1758)

Carrillo-Briceno, Jorge Domingo, Ruiz-Ramoni, Damian, Sanchez, Rodolfo, Jaimes, Arturo, Chavez-Aponte, Edwin, Prevosti, Francisco Juan, Segura, Valentina, Carlini, Alfredo Armando, Garbe, Lisa, Tombret, Olivier, Zazzo, Antoine & Sanchez-Villagra, Marcelo Ricardo, 2024, Cauca: megafaunal and felid fossils (Mammalia) from a Pleistocene site in northwest Venezuela, Fossil Record 27 (1), pp. 187-207 : 187

cf. Leopardus pardalis (Linnaeus, 1758)

Fig. 8

Referred material.

A right astragalus (AMU-CU-RS----1361; Fig. 8B1-B3 ). This specimen was collected, exposed on the surface about six metres south of the Cauca “A” excavation (Fig. 1B ) and we believe that it also comes from the upper part of the second layer that has been affected by laminar erosion. The preservation of the astragalus is good, except for partial erosion of the fibular facet and the distal end of the lateral lip of the trochlea that is broken.

Description.

AMU-CURS-1361 has a maximum length of 23.23 mm and a maximum width at the trochlea of 12.59 mm, which corresponds to a medium-sized mammal. The astragalus head is projected distally, but its media border is more displaced medially than the trochlea. The head is wide and, in the distal view, it has an elliptical shape that is slightly inclined medially. The trochlea is well-marked, with a sharp medial lip and a laterally inclined lateral lip. It differs from that of canids in that the trochlea is less excavated, the head is less inclined and not subtriangular in shape in the distal view. Canids have a bony shelf distal to the trochlea that connects with the neck of the head, which is not present in the AMU-CURS-1361, in felids and other carnivorans. Other carnivorans, like procyonids and mustelids, have a different astragalus shape, with a flatter trochlea and a wider and rounded head that is more medially directed. Although we did not observe diagnostic features at the genus level in the context of medium-sized felines in the astragalus, AMU-CURS-1361 exhibits a morphology resembling Leopardus pardalis and Lynx rufus Schreber, 1777.

Remarks.

We note some differences between AMU-CURS-1361 and Lynx rufus . In the revised specimens of the bobcat (INAH 7776; NMB 6111; and one at BonelD.net), the head of the astragalus is proportionally shorter and the distal border of the sustentacular facet is interrupted by a sharp incision. These features were also observed in some individuals of Leopardus pardalis (e.g. MACN-Ma 30866), while in other Le. pardalis , this facet contacts the navicular facet (e.g. MACN-Ma 27888, 30695 and 30698). Thus, based on the size and shape of the astragalus, AMU-CURS-1361 has a greater morphological affinity with Le. pardalis than with Ly. rufus , but given the small size of the comparison sample, it is not possible to make a more precise taxonomic conclusion.

Figures

Figure 1. Geographic location of the Cauca site (A) and the excavation area (B). The different bone groupings are referred to as " S " and the excavations as " A-E ". The M 2 isolated from a juvenile Notiomastodon platensis (AMU-CURS- 1045) is referred to with a triangle and *. Lithic artefacts referred to here are illustrated in Fig. 9.

Figure 8. Equids, felids, and indeterminate mammals from Cauca site. A 1, A 2. Left m 3 of Equus sp. (AMU-CURS- 1365) in occlusal and labial view; B 1 - B 3. Right astragalus of cf. Leopardus pardalis (AMU-CURS- 1361) in dorsal, plantar and lateral view; C. A bone of the foot of an indeterminate mammal (AMU-CURS- 1362). Abbreviations: (hypc) hypoconid, (mtcd) metaconid, (mty) metastylid, (plc) pli caballini fold, (prtc) protoconid.