Panthera gombaszoegensis

European jaguars were larger than modern-day jaguars found in South America.^[6][7] With a body weight between 70–210 kilograms (150–460 lb),^[8] they were therefore probably capable of bringing down larger prey. Like other Panthera species, they are thought to have been sexually dimorphic, with significantly larger males. While it was often asserted that the body size of the species increased with time, this has been disputed, with other authors finding no evidence of a clear pattern of body size evolution through time.^[1]

Evolutionary history

The ancestors of P. gombaszoegensis are thought to have arisen in Africa; a related form of Panthera was present in South Africa 1.9 Ma ago.^[8] Another form similar to P. gombaszoegensis has been found dating from early Pleistocene East Africa and had both lion- and tiger-like characteristics.^[6] Panthera gombaszoegensis arrived in Europe around 1.9 million years ago.^[2]

P. gombaszoegensis was initially the only European Pantherinae species in the Early Pleistocene, being present alongside the felines Acinonyx pardinensis^[9] and Puma pardoides and the machairodontines Homotherium latidens and Megantereon whitei.^[10] Leopards arrived later in the Early Pleistocene^[10] or the Middle Pleistocene,^[1] and cave lions in the Middle Pleistocene.^[1] The extinction of P. gombaszoegensis around 330-300,000 years ago has been suggested to have been as a result of competition with lions.^[2]

Taxonomy

Leo gombaszoegensis was the

• Panthera toscana proposed in 1949 for
  Arno river valley in Italy.^[14] These remains were originally described as a distinct species and later as subspecies Panthera gombaszoegensis toscana.^[15][8]
  It is sometimes referred to as the Tuscany jaguar or Tuscany lion.
• Felis (Panthera) schreuderi proposed in 1960 for cat fossils found in Tegelen, the Netherlands.^[16]
• Jansofelis vaufreyi proposed in 1971 for cat fossils found in southeastern France.^[17]

Some remains once attributed to P. gombaszoegensis have more recently been identified as Acinonyx pardinensis.^[9]

A 2022 study based on a relatively complete skull from Belgium suggested that P. gombaszoegensis is more closely related to the tiger (Panthera tigris), than the jaguar.^[5]

Habitat and behavior

The European jaguar has often been thought to be a forest-dwelling cat, similar in habits to the modern jaguar, although recent work suggests that the association between the European jaguar and forested habitats is not as strong as has often been assumed.^[18] It was probably a solitary animal.

• 
  Skull, Florence
• 
  Same skull
• 
  Mandible, Rotterdam

See also

• Panthera atrox
• Panthera blytheae
• Panthera palaeosinensis
• Panthera shawi
• Panthera spelaea
• Panthera zdanskyi

References