The mummified Homotherium ‘cub’ enters the LRT
Lopatin et al 2024 described
“The frozen mummy of the large felid cub” (Figs 1, 2) from the Late Pleistocene permafrost of Siberia. “The mummy belongs to the same age group as a three-week-old lion cub.”
That’s a nursing cub, which explains the presence of just a few milk teeth.
Figure 1. Homotherium cub skull and skeleton from Lopatin et al 2024. DGS colors added here.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/homotherium.kitten588.jpg?w=108″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/homotherium.kitten588.jpg?w=370″ class=”size-full wp-image-89829″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/homotherium.kitten588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Homotherium cub skull and skeleton from Lopatin et al 2024. DGS colors added here. ” width=”584″ height=”1618″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/homotherium.kitten588.jpg?w=584&h=1618 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/homotherium.kitten588.jpg?w=54&h=150 54w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/homotherium.kitten588.jpg?w=108&h=300 108w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/homotherium.kitten588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 1. Homotherium cub skull and skeleton from Lopatin et al 2024. DGS colors added here.
Rarely
are juveniles entered in the LRT, but it does happen. This time will be temporary due to the strong disparity in morphology between the cub and the adult (Fig 2). Even so, the LRT nested these two taxa close together (Fig 3).
Figure 2. Homotherium skull compared to scale with relatives, including the cub.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/homotherium-skull588.jpg?w=123″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/homotherium-skull588.jpg?w=418″ class=”size-full wp-image-89830″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/homotherium-skull588.jpg” alt=”Figure 2. Homotherium skull compared to scale with relatives, including the cub. ” width=”584″ height=”1430″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/homotherium-skull588.jpg?w=584&h=1430 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/homotherium-skull588.jpg?w=61&h=150 61w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/homotherium-skull588.jpg?w=123&h=300 123w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/homotherium-skull588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 2. Homotherium skull compared to scale with relatives, including the cub. Note the resemblance of the kitten/cub to the proximal ancestor, Hoplophoneus. The addition of crests to the cranium is a common trait in adult members of the Carnivora. This makes adding crestless juveniles something to be avoided in the LRT, which includes many crestless adults.
Here
in the large reptile tree (LRT, 2328 taxa, subset Fig 3) the mummy cub with allometric juvenile traits enters between the sabertooth wolverine, Hoplophoneus and the Homotherium clade, which includes the aardwolf, Proteles, the hyaena, Crocuta, and other canids, including Canis, the wolf.
The resemblance to Hoplophoneus is noteworthy (Fig 2). Unfortunately this taxon was not mentioned in the authors’ text. Think: ‘ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny‘.
The aardwolf, Proteles, appears to be neotonous, lacking large post-canine teeth.
The kitten/cub has all the parts expected in a cute, little, nursing Homotherium,
just different proportions.
Figure 3. Subset of the LRT focusing on Homotherium, an extinct descendant of Gulo, the wolverine and several sabertooths not related to cats.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/kitten.cladogram588.jpg?w=283″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/kitten.cladogram588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-89832″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/kitten.cladogram588.jpg” alt=”Figure 3. Subset of the LRT focusing on Homotherium, an extinct descendant of Gulo, the wolverine and several sabertooths.” width=”584″ height=”619″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/kitten.cladogram588.jpg?w=584&h=619 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/kitten.cladogram588.jpg?w=142&h=150 142w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/kitten.cladogram588.jpg?w=283&h=300 283w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/kitten.cladogram588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 3. Subset of the LRT focusing on Homotherium, an extinct descendant of Gulo, the wolverine and several sabertooths not related to cats.
Trait analysis in the LRT
separates sabertooth wolverine descendants, like Homotherium and Smilodon, from cats and civets and from marsupial sabertooth taxa. The resemblance to cats is a matter of strong convergence, according to the LRT. Yes, this is an unanticipated headache.
Of course, this hypothesis needs to be tested with a similar taxon list.
References
Lopatin AV et al (6 co-authors) 2024. Mummy of a juvenile sabre-toothed cat Homotherium latidens from the Upper Pleistocene of Siberia. Nature.com Scientific Reports 14:28016. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-79546-1
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2024/11/17/the-mummified-homotherium-cub-enters-the-lrt/
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