Longchuansmilus

Longchuansmilus is an extinct genus of machairodontine (sabre-toothed) cat that lived in China during the Late Miocene. The type and only species, Longchuansmilus xingyongi, was described in 2022.^[1]

Longchuansmilus Temporal range: Late Miocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Feliformia
Family:	Felidae
Subfamily:	†Machairodontinae
Tribe:	†Machairodontini
Genus:	†Longchuansmilus Jiangzuo et al., 2022
Type species
†Longchuansmilus xingyongi Jiangzuo et al., 2022

Etymology

The generic name "Longchuansmilus" refers to the Longchuan River, which runs along the Yuanmou Basin, and the Greek σμίλη/smilē meaning "dagger". The specific name honours Xingyong Zhang, who has helped greatly in the discovery and study of the fossils at the Yuanmou hominid site.^[1]

Palaeoecology

Longchuansmilus is thought to have been jaguar-sized.^[1]

Longchuansmilus would have coexisted with proboscideans, the beaver Sinocastor, the rodent Kowalskia, the flying squirrel Pliopetaurista, the rabbit Alilepus, and the ape Lufengpithecus. Animals found near the fossil include tapirs, insectivores, flying squirrels, bamboo rats, freshwater birds, fish, frogs, turtles, crocodiles, beavers, otters and terrestrial birds, all which point to a swampy or lacustrine environment.^[2]