Discovered a new cat that lived in Madrid in the Miocene: “Magerifelis peignei”

A team of paleontologists from the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC) have just described one new genus and species of cats who lived in the Madrid area 15.5 million yearsinside Middle Miocenethat they named Magerifelis peignei. This discovery is crucial to understanding the evolution of cats as it represents one new form of cat previously unknown, with primitive teeth and a very robust jaw.

The genus name refers to the city of Madrid (founded as Magerit), followed by Felis (Latin cat), while the species is dedicated Stephane Peignéa French paleontologist who worked with the team for many years until his death in 2017.

The description was made from a Jaw which was recovered in 2007 paleontological site discovered during improvement works at the Madrid train station transport hub Prince Pius.

During the Miocene (20 to 5 million years ago) a group of small cats lived there, whose relationships are very poorly known due to the scarcity of fossil remains. In fact, only a few teeth and bone fragments were present so far.

Can be found at the Principe Pio motorway junction

“In 2007, an interesting Middle Miocene paleontological site was discovered in Príncipe Pío. One of the most outstanding fossils of the material recovered was the jaw of a small cat, whose study we have just published in the journal Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology“, explains the MNCN researcher, Manuel Salesa.

“We recovered a virtually complete jaw, preserving almost all of the teeth in exceptional condition. The most surprising thing is that it had a tiny one lower second molar (m2)a tooth missing from all extant and fossil cats except Proailurusthe first felid known in the fossil record, from sites 25 million years old, much older than that of Príncipe Pío,” explains the MNCN researcher.

The most surprising thing is that it had a tiny lower second molar (m2), a tooth that is missing from all but one of modern and fossil big cats.

Pebble (MNCN-CSIC)

According to paleoartist Mauricio Antón: “Thanks to the use of CT scan (computed tomography).“We were able to study the internal morphology of these teeth and found that m2 had a relatively large root.”

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CT scan image of the jaw of Magerifelis peignei from the Príncipe Pío-2 site (Madrid), showing the mandibular second molar (m2). / MNCN

“The Pine is very sturdy “Compared to cats of similar size, this suggests an adaptation to withstand large tensions during the bite, probably due to catching relatively large prey,” says Salesa.

“In addition to this dielectric strength, the Muscles “The areas responsible for the bite have very developed attachment points, indicating relatively larger muscle masses than other cats of similar size,” continues the first signatory of the work.

Jesus Gamarrawho reconstructed what the species looked like in life, adds: “It's not common to work on such a complete piece to reconstruct a fossil species, so it was a very stimulating experience.”

The great paleontological heritage of Madrid

During the Middle Miocene, about 15.5 million years ago, the climate in Madrid was warmer than today and the landscape was characterized by extensive forest meadows, between which areas of more vegetation developed in the form of forest patches in which numerous animal species found refuge .

In this environment a fauna developed in which there were many ungulates of different sizes, such as: Hispanotherium matritensea rhinoceros with graceful limbs and a dentition adapted to eating grass, which was so common at the time that these mammalian communities were called “faunas with”. Hispanotherium“. The herbivore species was completed with MastodonsPaleomericides (deer-like ruminants), cattle, three-toed horses and wild boar.

The carnivores, for their part, were represented by the Super predators Currently large ursids and amphiphonids (similar to dire wolves), as well as ailurids (relatives of the red panda), martens and small cats.

“It is crucial to preserve the impressive paleontological heritage that Madrid values, one of the most important in Spain, and which provides important data to understand the evolution of many mammal groups,” he emphasizes. Jorge Moralesalso from MNCN.