The disappearance of European dirk-toothed cats
Tura Poch, Clàudia (Universitat de Girona. Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art)
Bartolini-Lucenti, Saverio (Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont)
Jiangzuo, Qigao (Chinese Academy of Sciences. Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology)
Prat-Vericat, Maria (Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont)
Martínez-Navarro, Bienvenido (Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social)
Rook, Lorenzo (University of Florence. Earth Science Department)
Madurell-Malapeira, Joan (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Geologia)

Date:	2025
Abstract:	Saber-toothed cats dominated the latest Pliocene to early Pleistocene ecosystems in the Old World, potentially competing with early hominins for food resources. However, the Pleistocene fossil records of the medium-sized Megantereon are often fragmented and scarce, leading to contentious debates regarding its evolutionary history. Previously, it was commonly believed that Megantereon became locally extinct in Europe during the early Pleistocene, albeit without a precise timeline. In this study, we present findings from an unpublished Megantereon neurocranium discovered in the Iberian Vallparadís Section. This discovery is correlated with the Jaramillo magnetostratigraphic subchron (ca. 1. 0 Ma; MIS30). Additionally, we propose a connection between the disappearance of European Megantereon and the climatic shifts associated with the 'Early-Middle Pleistocene Transition', particularly the increase in aridity and expansion of open landscapes observed during the protracted glacial stage MIS30.
Grants:	Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación CEX2019-000945-M Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2021/SGR-01238
Note:	Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UAB
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió acceptada per publicar
Subject:	Saber-toothed cats ; Pleistocene ; Europe ; Climatic shifts ; Extinction
Published in:	Palaeoworld, Vol. 34, Núm. 1 (February 2025) , art. 100856, ISSN 1875-5887

DOI: 10.1016/j.palwor.2024.05.003

Postprint 15 p, 4.8 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles