The enigmatic ailurid Magerictis imperialensis (Mammalia: Carnivora) unveiled : a systematic approach to the early Ailuridae
Morales, Jorge (Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Madrid, Espanya))
Abella, Juan (Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont)
Caballero Chordá, Óscar (Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Madrid, Espanya))
DeMiguel, Daniel (Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont)
Peláez-Campomanes, Pablo (Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Madrid, Espanya))
Valenciano Vaquero, Alberto (Universidad Complutense de Madrid)

Date:	2025
Abstract:	We present a detailed description of the craniodental and postcranial remains of the enigmatic Magerictis imperialensis, a basal Ailuridae previously known only from a single m2 from the Middle Miocene of the Madrid Basin (Spain). The discovery of new specimens from eight Middle Miocene (MN5-MN6) localities in Madrid has yielded comprehensive information on the dentition, mandibular morphology, and postcranial skeleton of this species. These new fossils provide an excellent opportunity to revise the phylogenetic relationships of Magerictis and related musteloids from the Oligocene and Miocene of Eurasia and North America. Our phylogenetic analysis indicates that Magerictis and Rothictis gen. nov. are the most basal members of the Aiuluridae. Both genera, together with Alopecocyon, Actiocyon, and Protursus, underwent a limited adaptive radiation during the Middle and Late Miocene in Eurasia and North America. This radiation potentially includes the ancestors of the most specialized ailurids (Simocyon, and the ailurines Parailurus, Pristinailurus and Ailurus). The postcranial elements attributed to Magerictis, particularly the astragalus and calcaneus, exhibit a morphological pattern comparable to that of Ailurus, thereby distinguishing it from other Musteloidea. A systematic rearrangement of the primitive Holartic musteloids from the Oligocene and Miocene is proposed. The Ailuridae are divided into three subfamilies: (i) Ailurinae for Ailurus, Parailurus and Pristinailurus; (ii) Simocyoninae, which includes Simocyon, Protursus, Alopecocyon and Actiocyon; and (iii) Magerictinae nov. rank for Magerictis and Rothictis gen. nov. (type species Rothictis wintershofensis comb. nov. ). The family Amphictidae Winge, Citation1895 is revalidated for Amphictis and Bonisictis gen. nov. (type species Bonisictis ambiguus comb. nov. ).
Grants:	Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación PRE2019-091348 Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades PGC2018-094122-B-100 European Commission 226506 Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2023-151089NB-I00 Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2024-160207NB-I00
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 publicada
Subject:	Iberian Peninsula, Miocene ; Musteloidea ; Red panda
Published in:	Journal of systematic palaeontology, Vol. 23, Num. 1 (December 2025) , art. 2571254, ISSN 1478-0941

DOI: 10.1080/14772019.2025.2571254

38 p, 6.3 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)
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