Parailurus

Extinct genus of carnivores

Parailurus Temporal range: early to late Pliocene
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Ailuridae
Subfamily:	Ailurinae
Genus:	†Parailurus Schlosser, 1899
Type species
†P. anglicus (Dawkins, 1888)
Species
†P. baikalicus Sotnikova, 2008 †P. tedfordi Wallace & Lyon, 2022
Synonyms
P. anglicus Ailurus anglicus Parailurus hungaricus

Parailurus is a genus of extinct carnivoran mammal in the family Ailuridae. It was about 50% larger than Ailurus (red panda) and lived in the early to late Pliocene Epoch, and its fossils have been found in Europe, North America, and Japan.^[1]^[2]

The fossils of P. baikalicus carry low-crowned lower molars, along with the main cuspids of the cheek teeth being worn horizontally. This suggests P. baikalicus commonly ate leaves.^[3]

A third species, Parailurus tedfordi, was described in 2022.^[4]

References

^ Goswami, Anjali; Friscia, Anthony, eds. (July 2010). Carnivoran Evolution: New Views on Phylogeny, Form and Function. Cambridge University Press. pp. 117–119. ISBN 978-0-521-51529-0.
^ Fejfar, Oldřich; Sabol, Martin (April 2004). "Pliocene Carnivores (Carnivora, Mammalia) from Ivanovce and Hajnáčka (Slovakia)". Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg. 246: 15–53. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
^ Ogino, Shintaro; Nakaya, Hideo; Takai, Masanaru; Fukuchi, Akira; Maschenko, Evgeny N.; Kalmykov, Nikolai P. (September 30, 2009). "Mandible and Lower Dentition of Parailurus baikalicus (Ailuridae, Carnivora) from Transbaikal area, Russia". Paleontological Research. 13 (3): 259–264. doi:10.2517/1342-8144-13.3.259. ISSN 1342-8144. S2CID 86244485.
^ Wallace, Steven C.; Lyon, Lauren M. (2022). "Systematic revision of the Ailurinae (Mammalia: Carnivora: Ailuridae): With a new species from North America". Red Panda. pp. 31–52. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-823753-3.00011-9. ISBN 9780128237533. S2CID 243818007.

†Acheronictis †Aragonictis †Arikarictis †Circamustela †Erokomellivora †Franconictis †Kenyalutra †Kinometaxia †Laphyctis †Luogale †Marcetia †Matanomictis †Melidellavus †Mellalictis †Mesomephitis †Miomustela †Namibictis †Oaxacagale †Palaeomeles †Paragale †Parataxidea †Perunium †Plesictis †Plesiogale †Plesiomeles †Prepoecilogale †Presictis †Promellivora †Proputorius †Pyctis †Sabadellictis †Semantor †Sinictis †Sivalictis †Skopelogale †Sonitictis †Taxodon †Trochotherium †Xenictis †Zorilla
Guloninae	†Canimartes Eira †Ferinestrix Gulo †Iberictis †Ischyrictis Martes Pekania †Plesiogulo †Plionictis †Sthenictis
Helictidinae	Melogale
Ictonychinae	†Brevimalictis †Cernictis †Eirictis †Enhydrictis Galictis Ictonyx †Lutravus Lyncodon †Martellictis †Negodiaetictis †Oriensictis †Pannonictis †Poecilictis Poecilogale †Sminthosinis †Stipanicicia †Trigonictis †Trochictis Vormela
Lutrinae	†Algarolutra Aonyx †Cyrnaonyx †Cyrnolutra †Djourabus Enhydra †Enhydriodon †Enhydritherium Hydrictis †Limnonyx Lontra Lutra †Lutraeximia †Lutrictis Lutrogale †Megalenhydris †Megencephalon †Melodon †Mionictis †Nesolutra †Paludolutra †Paralutra †Pelycictis Pteronura †Sardolutra †Satherium †Siamogale †Sivaonyx †Teruelictis †Torolutra †Tyrrhenolutra †Vishnuonyx
†Leptarctinae	Craterogale Leptarctus Trocharion
Melinae	†Arctomeles Arctonyx Meles †Promeles
Mellivorinae	†Ekorus †Eomellivora †Hoplictis Mellivora †Moralesictis
†Mustelavinae	Mustelavus
Mustelinae	†Baranogale †Dinogale †Lartetictis †Legionarictis Mustela Neogale †Putorius †Tisisthenes
†Oligobuninae	Brachypsalis Corumictis Floridictis Megalictis Oligobunis Parabrachypsalis Paroligobunis Promartes Zodiolestes
Taxidiinae	†Chamitataxus †Pliotaxidea Taxidea

Taxon identifiers
Parailurus	Wikidata: Q18419730 Wikispecies: Parailurus GBIF: 4833076 IRMNG: 1303498 Open Tree of Life: 3612920 Paleobiology Database: 41258
Parailurus anglicus	Wikidata: Q111033557 Wikispecies: Parailurus anglicus GBIF: 6142161 Paleobiology Database: 49860
Parailurus baikalicus	Wikidata: Q111033552 Wikispecies: Parailurus baikalicus Paleobiology Database: 470470
Parailurus tedfordi	Wikidata: Q119361861 Paleobiology Database: 470468