If you are a cat lover, you might be curious about the origins and evolution of these furry companions. You might also be surprised to learn that a new species of ancient cat was recently discovered in Spain, thanks to a jawbone fossil that was found in 2007.
The fossil, which belongs to a feline named Magerifelis peignei, sheds light on the diversity and adaptations of cats during the Middle Miocene, a period that spanned from 23 to 5 million years ago.
It also challenges some of the previous assumptions about the evolutionary history of felines, and adds a new branch to their family tree.
The Discovery of Magerifelis peignei
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The jawbone fossil of Magerifelis peignei was unearthed in the outskirts of Madrid, near the Príncipe Pío station, where construction works were underway to extend a metro stop and a shopping center. The site, known as Príncipe Pío-2, revealed a rich paleontological record of the Middle Miocene fauna and flora.
The fossil was taken to the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC), where a team of paleontologists led by Manuel Salesa analyzed it in detail.
They compared it with other known species of felines from the same era, and concluded that it belonged to a new genus and species of Felinae, a subfamily of small cats that includes modern species such as lynxes, ocelots, and domestic cats.
The researchers named the new feline Magerifelis peignei, in honor of the late French paleontologist Stéphane Peigné, who was an expert on carnivores and contributed to the study of the Príncipe Pío-2 site.
Magerifelis peignei was a medium-sized cat, weighing about 7.61 kg, which is similar to a modern lynx or bobcat. It had a robust jaw and a strong bite, which allowed it to hunt relatively large prey, such as rodents, rabbits, and small ungulates.
One of the most distinctive features of Magerifelis peignei was its lower second molar, a tooth that is absent in almost all current and fossil cats, except for Proailurus, the oldest known feline in the fossil record.
This tooth, which was very small and simple in Magerifelis peignei, suggests that this cat had a primitive dentition, and that it was closely related to the origin of the Felinae subfamily.
Magerifelis peignei lived in a warm and humid environment, with abundant vegetation and water sources. It shared its habitat with other carnivores, such as hyenas, bears, and dogs, as well as herbivores, such as rhinos, horses, and deer. It was probably an opportunistic predator, taking advantage of any prey that crossed its path.
The Implications of Magerifelis peignei for Feline Evolution
The discovery of Magerifelis peignei has important implications for understanding the evolution of felines, especially in Europe, where the fossil record of this group is scarce and fragmentary.
The researchers estimate that Magerifelis peignei lived about 15.5 million years ago, which makes it one of the oldest representatives of the Felinae subfamily.
Magerifelis peignei also shows that the diversity and adaptations of felines during the Middle Miocene were more complex than previously thought.
It reveals that there were different lineages of felines coexisting in the same region, with different ecological niches and morphological features.
The researchers hope that the discovery of Magerifelis peignei will inspire more studies and excavations in the Príncipe Pío-2 site, and in other sites of the same age, to find more fossils of this and other feline species.
They also hope that this new cat will spark the interest and curiosity of the public, and raise awareness about the importance of preserving the paleontological heritage of Spain.
