Cynodictis Bravard & Pomel, 1850

Verger, Kévin Le, Solé, Floréal & Ladevèze, Sandrine, 2020, Description of a new species of Cynodictis Bravard & Pomel, 1850 (Carnivora, Mammalia) from the Quercy Phosphorites with comments on the use of skull morphology for phylogenetics, Geodiversitas 42 (16), pp. 239-255 : 242

Genus Cynodictis Bravard & Pomel, 1850

TYPE SPECIES. — Cynodictis lacustris Gervais, 1852 by original designation (“ Cynodon lacustre” in Gervais 1852: 113, pl. 25).

INCLUDED SPECIES. — Cynodictis longirostris Filhol, 1872; C. cayluxensis Filhol, 1876; C. ferox Filhol, 1876; C. crassus Teilhard de Chardin, 1915; C. exilis Teilhard de Chardin, 1915; C. peignei n. sp.

DISTRIBUTION. — The oldest occurrence of Cynodictis is in the French sites of La Débruge (MP18), Ste-Neboule (MP18) and Pont d’Assou (MP19), followed by discoveries in the Montmartre deposits (MP19). Cynodictis from the southern United Kingdom are probably the same age as the latter. All are referred to the Priabonian. The age of the Frohnstetten ( Germany) is considered little younger, from the end of the Eocene (latest Priabonian). The remains from the Quercy Phosphorites are referred partly to the late Eocene, but mostly to the lower Oligocene. The most recent known occurrence corresponds to an unpublished cranium found at Aubrelong 1 (MP21 – Quercy Phosphorites). Although in this locality, the presence of remains attributed to “ Cynodictis ” palmidens was mentioned, the unpublished cranium does not correspond to it and we recognize this specimen as Cynodictis (KLV, FS, SL, in prep). The stratigraphic distribution of Cynodictis is therefore confined to Western Europe from MP18 to MP21. It should be noted, however, that some authors suggest that Cynodictis is present up to MP23 (for more details on this question, see Kotsakis [1980: 268, 269]).

DIAGNOSIS (emended from Teilhard de Chardin 1915 and Tomiya & Tseng 2016). — Differs from other European amphicyonids by: premolars broad, triangular, and bearing strong accessory cusps (the protoconid is well developed and the cingulum extends from the mesial to the distal directions and has a pointed end); m1 markedly larger than the all premolars and very tall; paraconid on m1 generally as tall as the protoconid on p4; protoconid on m1 much taller than para- and metaconid; trigonid on m1 mesiodistally compressed, but with proto- and paraconid laterally flattened and together forming a nearly longitudinal edge; shallow talonid, delimited by a sharp hypoconid, a sharp entoconid, a small accessory entoconulid, and often by a poorly developed hypoconulid; m2 very similar to the m1, with strong anterolabial edge and without any tendency to a noticeable crushing talonid, or to a lengthening of the talonid; m3 rounded and often vestigial; P4 with sharp and anteriorly placed protocone; M1 with well-developed parastyle and equally developed para-, meta- and protocones, with a symmetrical and crescentic protocone whose branches lead to equal-sized para- and metaconules, and with strong cingulum; M2 similar to M1. Differs from North American amphicyonids by the absence of an upper third molar, the presence of a parastyle on P4 forming a small bulge, and a posteriorly oriented postprotocrista on the M1.