Sivanasua

Extinct genus of carnivorous mammal

Sivanasua Temporal range: Miocene17.2–13.8 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ ^[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Feliformia
Family:	†Lophocyonidae
Genus:	†Sivanasua Pilgrim, 1932
Species
S. antiqua Crusafont-Pairó, 1959 S. moravica Fejfar & Schmidt-Kittler, 1984 S. viverroides Schlosser, 1916

Sivanasua is an extinct genus of carnivorous mammal found across Miocene Europe including Germany, Austria,^[1] France, Spain and the Czech Republic. Like other lophocyonids, Sivanasua had unusual lophodont dentition, meaning the molars had ridges across the grinding surface of the molars, an adaptation believed to be indicative of a herbivorous diet.

Discovery and naming

The first fossils of Sivanasua from Attenfeld, Germany, were interpreted by Max Schlosser in 1916 as a relative of the red panda. Schlosser named them "Aeluravus" viverroides. However, as the name was already occupied by a glirid, Pilgrim later suggested the name Sivanasua in its place. Pilgrim simultaneously named two more species from India and Pakistan, S. himalayensis and S. palaeindica. Both these species, alongside S. nagrii (named by Prasad in 1963), were later recovered as primates.^[2] Crusafont-Pairó described a species from Spain in 1959 as S. antiqua and Fejar & Schmidt-Kittler described S. moravica in 1984.^[3]

Phylogeny

The exact relationship between Sivanasua and other carnivorans has long been debated, with historic hypothesis placing them within Ailuridae, Procyonidae and even Hyaenodontidae.^[4] More recent analysis of the fossil material suggest that lophocyonids were feliforms most closely related to hyenas, represented by Protictitherium in the phylogenetic tree depicted below.^[5] Within lophocyonids Sivanasua is a derived member, recovered as a sister taxon to Lophocyon by Morales et al. (2019).

†Protictis spp.

†Herpestides antiquus

	Viverra tangalunga

	Hemigalus derbyanus

†Legetetia nandii

†Kichechia zamanae

†Protictitherium crassum

†Izmirictis cani

†Euboictis aliverensis

	†Lophocyon spp.

	†Sivanasua viverroides

Within the genus, S. viverroides from Central and Western Europe and S. antiqua from Spain were recovered as temporally and geographically separated sister taxa, with S. moravica being their last common ancestor.^[1]

Paleoecology

The lophodont dentition observed in Sivanasua and related lophocyonids such as Izmirictis suggests adaptations towards a herbivorous lifestyle, with the microwear of the teeth being more similar to that of herbivores than obligate carnivores.^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Prieto, J.; Gross, M.; Hassler, A.; Böhme, M. (2022). "Presence of the peculiar carnivore Sivanasua in Carinthia". Historical Biology. 34 (8): 1442–1447. doi:10.1080/08912963.2022.2032029. S2CID 246819041.
^ Chopra, S.R.K.; Vasishat, R.N. (1980). "new mio-pliocene indraloris (primate) material with comments on the taxonomic status of sivanasua (Carnivore) from the S̀ivaliks of the Indian subcontinent". Journal of Human Evolution. 9 (2): 129–132. doi:10.1016/0047-2484(80)90069-x.
^ Fejfar, O; Schmidt-Kittler, N. (1984). "Sivanasua und Euboictis n. gen. – zwei pflanzenfressende Schleichkatzenvorlaufer (Viverridae, Carnivora, Mammalia) im europaischen Untermiozän". Mainzer Geowissenschaftliche Mitteilungen. 13: 49–72.
^ Ginsburg, L.; Morales, J. (1999). "LE GENRE SIVANASUA (LOPHOCYONINAE, HYAENODONTIDAE,CREODONTA, MAMMALIA) DANS LE MIOCENE DE FRANCE". Estudios Geol. 55 (3–4): 173–180. doi:10.3989/egeol.99553-4173.
^ ^a ^b Morales, J.; Mayda, S.; Valenciano, A.; DeMiguel, D.; Kaya, T. (2019). "A new lophocyonid, Izmirictis cani gen. et sp. nov. (Carnivora: Mammalia), from the lower Miocene of Turkey". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 17 (16): 1347–1358. doi:10.1080/14772019.2018.1529000. hdl:10261/223616. S2CID 91268744.

Genera of civets, mongooses, hyenas, cats, and their extinct allies

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora

Feliformia

†Palaeogalidae

†Palaeogale?

†Nimravidae

- See Nimravidae

Aeluroidea

†Alagtsavbaatar
†Anictis
†Asiavorator
†Shandgolictis

Nandiniidae

Nandinia

Viverroidea

Viverridae

†Africanictis †Dunictis †Forsythictis †Lufengictis †Ketketictis †Mioprionodon †Moghradictis †Progenetta
Genettinae	Genetta Poiana
Hemigalinae	Chrotogale Cynogale Diplogale Hemigalus Macrogalidia
Paradoxurinae	Arctictis Arctogalidia †Kanuites †Kichechia Paguma Paradoxurus †Siamictis †Tugenictis
Viverrinae	Civettictis †Semigenetta Viverra Viverricula

Herpestoidea

Herpestidae	See below↓
Hyaenidae	See below↓

Feloidea

- See below↓

Herpestidae

Eupleridae

Euplerinae	Cryptoprocta Eupleres Fossa
Galidiinae	Galidia Galidictis Mungotictis Salanoia

Herpestidae

†Kichechia †Legetetia †Leptoplesictis †Ugandictis
Herpestinae	Atilax Bdeogale Cynictis Herpestes Ichneumia Paracynictis Urva Xenogale
Mungotinae	Crossarchus Dologale Helogale Liberiictis Mungos Suricata

Hyaenidae

†Percrocutidae?

Dinocrocuta
Percrocuta

†Lophocyonidae

Euboictis
Izmirictis
Lophocyon
Sivanasua

Hyaenidae

†Allohyaena †Belbus †Metahyaena †Pliocrocuta †Tongxinictis †Werdelinus
†Ictitheriinae	Herpestides Hyaenotherium Ictitherium Lycyaena Miohyaenotherium Plioviverrops Protictitherium Thalassictis Tungurictis
Protelinae	†Gansuyaena Proteles
Hyaeninae	†Adcrocuta †Chasmaporthetes Crocuta Hyaena †Hyaenictis †Ikelohyaena †Leecyaena †Lycyaenops †Pachycrocuta †Palinhyaena Parahyaena

Feloidea

†Pseudictis
†Stenogale
†Stenoplesictis
†Viretictis

†Barbourofelidae

(See Barbourofelidae)

Prionodontidae

†Haplogale
†Palaeoprionodon
Prionodon

Felidae

†Asilifelis †Diamantofelis †Hyperailurictis †Katifelis †Namafelis †Miopanthera †Pseudaelurus †Sivaelurus †Styriofelis
†Proailurinae	Proailurus Vinayakia
Felinae	Acinonyx Catopuma Caracal Felis Herpailurus Leopardus Leptailurus †Leptofelis Lynx †Magerifelis †Miracinonyx Otocolobus Pardofelis †Pratifelis Prionailurus †Pristifelis Puma †Sivapanthera †Sivapardus †Vishnufelis
†Machairodontinae	See Machairodontinae
Pantherinae	Neofelis Panthera †Leontoceryx †Pachypanthera