New species of Percrocuta (Carnivora, Hyaenidae) from the early middle Miocene of Tongxin, China

ABSTRACT

Percrocuta xixiaensis sp. nov. from numerous localities in the Zhang’enbao Formation of Tongxin, Ningxia, China, is described here. Its fossils include the first complete cranium of Percrocuta and represent the best materials of this genus hitherto published. The bulla of P. xixiaensis suggests Percrocuta as true hyaenids rather than ‘false hyenas (percrocutids)’ which were believed to evolve independently from Stenoplesictis-like ancestors. The m1 of P. xixiaensis is more complex than Stenoplesictis and other Percrocuta species, indicating a relationship with other Miocene hyaenids. Cranial features like the small frontal sinus, the low neurocranium and the weak zygomatic process in P. xixiaensis are less adapted to bone cracking than its robust premolars. P. xixiaensis is close to P. miocenica but differs from the latter in narrower premolars and less reduced talonid of m1. It probably predates P. miocenica, which suggests an age of MN5 (early Middle Miocene) for the localities in the Zhang’enbao Formation of Tongxin.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E3B79008-6443-478A-B7A2-BAAE44CC8B63

KEYWORDS:

• Percrocuta
• Hyaenidae
• Percrocutidae
• middle Miocene
• Tongxin

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Prof. Qiu Zhan-Xiang and Prof. Wang Shi-Qi for providing access to the hyaenid materials collected in Tongxin, Dr. Li Lu for help in preparing this paper and restoring the specimen IVPP V 31176, which was accidentally broken during the study, Mr. Hou Ye-Mao and Ms. Yin Peng-Fei for their help in Micro-CT scanning and data processing. The author also would like to thank Prof. Wang Xiaoming, an anonymous reviewer, and the editor of Historical Biology, Dr G. Dyke for their kind and helpful comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 41430102, 41402020 and by the Chinese Academy of Sciences under Grant XDB26000000, XDPB05, QYZDY-SSW-DQC022.