Prehistoric Cat New Species With ‘Very Robust’ Jaw, Primitive Teeth Discovered in Madrid

A new species of prehistoric cat was discovered in Madrid. The previously unknown species had finally earned a name over a decade after it was unearthed.

New Feline Species

Paleontologists have discovered a hitherto undiscovered species of over 15 million-year-old prehistoric cat that was probably quite formidable with a bite. A group of scientists from the nation's National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC) have named the new medium-sized feline species Magnetifelis peignei, based on a fossil found in Madrid in 2007.

The fossil, a jawbone, was discovered as renovations were being made to an underground public transportation hub beneath the Príncipe Pío station and a nearby retail mall. These efforts found a paleontological site from the Miocene between 23 and 5 million years ago.

The finding of the prehistoric cat fossil significantly impacts the evolution of felines since the most recent species represents a new form with primitive teeth and a "very robust" jaw.

"In 2007, an interesting paleontological site from the middle Miocene was discovered in Príncipe Pío. One of the most outstanding fossils of the recovered material was a jaw of a small feline, whose study we have just published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology," MNCN researcher Manuel Salesa, an author of the study, said in a press release.

Nearly all teeth in "exceptional" condition are preserved in the nearly whole jawbone of Magnerifelis peignei. The most unexpected finding is that the cat has a slightly lower second molar, which is missing from all living and extinct cats save Proailurus, the oldest known cat from the fossil record.

The recently reported cat's jaw is "very robust" compared to cats of comparable size, indicating that it could have endured much tension when biting.

"In addition to this resistance to tension, the muscles responsible for the bite have highly developed insertion areas, indicative of relatively larger muscle masses than those of other felines of similar size," Salesa added.

This indicates that M. peignei, representing an entirely new genus (group of species), could exert "powerful bites." As a result, it could likely rapidly kill relatively larger prey than that of similarly-sized felines living today.

ALSO READ: Male Tiger Mauled a Man in India, Half-Eaten Body Found Near a Reserve Park

Tiger Down Syndrome

A tiger named Kenny went viral due to his appearance. Kenny was dubbed the "ugliest tiger in the world" due to his facial deformities that many believed were due to Down Syndrome.

But the earlier claims regarding his illness were untrue. Most animals, particularly cats like Kenny, do not get Down syndrome in an attempt to create the uncommon white tiger, a wildlife trafficker who used incest to create Kenny.

White tigers are endangered and need to be produced to preserve them, according to breeders, entertainers, and even some zoos that keep them. Sadly, a lot of people don't challenge this story. However, Susan Bass of the Florida-based sanctuary Big Cat Rescue (BCR) asserts that white tigers are not a species, are not in danger of extinction, and are not seen in the wild. She said many misconceptions exist regarding white tigers, which shouldn't exist in the first place.

Most white tigers result from generations of inbreeding, which can cause several health problems. Just one example of the effects of this inbreeding is Kenny.

RELATED ARTICLE: Sumatran Tigers in Indonesia Recovering From COVID-19, Cause of Coronavirus in Animals Still Unknown

Check out more news and information on Tiger in Science Times.