Legionarictis fortidens
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5070/P9291021804 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/916B2809-FFEB-AE28-5F48-541F3255FDAF |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Legionarictis fortidens |
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( Table 2, Figures 2–10 View Figures 2–5 View Figures 6–7 View Figures 8–9 View Figure 10 )
Holotype — UCMP 166190 View Materials , partial cranium with left I1-2, P2-4, right P2, and fragmentary left and right M1s.
Type locality — UCMP V99563 “Monocline Ridge assemblage,” 30 km north of the North Coalinga quarry near Coalinga, California. The locality is on a small hill of the Monocline Ridge between Panoche Creek and Arroyo Cierro (Kelly and Stewart in press). See Table 1 for a preliminary faunal list of the locality.
Age and stratigraphy — UCMP V99563 is near the top of the marine sandstone/pebble conglomerate Temblor Formation, which is overlain by the non-marine cross-bedded calcareous sandstone, mudstone, claystone, and pebble conglomeratic Oro-Loma Formation ( Bartow 1996). Based on a study of perissodactyl and artiodactyl biochronology (Kelly and Stewart in press), the locality is of early to early late Barstovian North American Land Mammal Age (middle Miocene) in age.
Etymology— Legionarius, a legionary soldier of the Roman Republic Period; ictis, weasel—generic name refers to the prominent sagittal crest of the holotype, reminiscent of the longitudinal helmet ornamentation of Roman legionaries and centurion officers. Fortis, strong; dens, tooth—specific name refers to the robust carnassial of the holotype specimen.
Diagnosis —large mustelid, with very prominent sagittal crest similar to older individuals of the Eurasian badger ( Meles Boddaert 1785 ); infraorbital foramina small, immediately
Amphibia
Anura , sp. undetermined
Eureptilia
Ophidia
Testudines
Hesperotestudo sp. of the H. osborniana-orthopyga lineage
Aves
Branta cf. B. woolfendeni
anatid, sp. undetermined
Podicepidae
Passeriformes, sp. undetermined
Mammalia
Cosorycinae, gen. and sp. indeterminate
camelid, sp. undetermined
Legionarictis fortidens sp. et. gen. nov.
Borophaginae, sp. undetermined
Leporidae , sp. undetermined
“ Merychippus ” cf. “M.” relictus
cf. Peraceras sp.
Proboscidea, sp. undetermined
Rodentia, two undetermined. spp.
above posterior root of P3 as in most basal mustelines; upper tooth formula 3/1/3/1/; I3 unenlarged, as in basal mustelines; P2-3 slender and simple, without accessory cusps; P4 protocone posteriorly offset from parastyle crest, slightly anterior in position to paracone, similar to Martes Frisch 1775 ; carnassial notch absent as in all neomustelids, P4 paracone very robust, labially and lingually inflated, invading the protocone space; P4 hypoconal crest absent as in basal mustelines; M1 triangular in occlusal view, with well-formed, straight lingual cingulum; posterior cingulum slightly expanded, M1 labial roots close together or fused, intermediate between the morphology observed in basal mustelines and lutrines.
Description— Cranium: The entire cranium is dorsoventrally deformed; the compression is more severe on the right half in the ventrolateral direction ( Figs. 2–5 View Figures 2–5 ). Associated with this asymmetrical deformation, much of the right upper dentition and zygomatic arch are destroyed. The nasal opening is dorsoventrally compressed to a width of 9.1 mm and a height of 4.0 mm; the nasal bones have been pressed into the nasal cavity, displacing the premaxilla and maxilla laterally. The entire rostrum is 30 mm long between the anterior tip of the premaxilla and the anterior edge of the orbit. The antorbital fossa extends 11.5 mm anterior of the orbit. The infraorbital foramina are 2.4 mm wide and 3.34 mm high; they are situated ~ 11 mm dorsal of the posterior base of P3. Postorbital processes are not particularly prominent; two prominent frontal ridges lead from the postorbital processes and converge to form the sagittal crest ~ 8.4 mm posterior of the orbit. The sagittal crest rises gradually over the posterior cranium, reaching a maximum height of 14.0 mm; the crest measures 61.9 mm from the convergence of the frontal ridges to the posterior end, which terminates into a notch that overhangs the occiput. The narrowest region of the cranium is a gradual constriction 13.3 mm posterior to the postorbital processes. The zygomatic arch is slender, measuring 6.5 mm in depth. The lateral sides of the frontal and parietal regions are badly damaged; no foramina are visible. The cranial region does not appear particularly inflated or box-like, even after dorsoventral compression is taken into account. On the dorsolateral surface of the posterior cranial region there are vertical linear rugosities. The lambdoidal crests are destroyed, but at the junction between the lambdoidal and sagittal crests there is a short ridge running ventrally and smoothly merging with a vertical occiput.
There are three incisive foramina immediately behind the incisors on the palate. The paired palatine canals originate at a position adjacent to the P4 protocone, and extend anteriorly as far as the position of P2. The overall shape of the palate is a tapering triangle, with the distance between labial boundaries of M1 approximately equal to that of the toothrow length between C1-M1. The posterior end of the palate extends well beyond the position of M1; the pterygoid bones extend posteriorly to at least the position of the glenoid fossae. The post-glenoid processes are prominent; they are broken at the ventral tips, so it is impossible to discern whether they would lock the mandibular condyles in articulation. The foramen ovale is immediately medial to the glenoid fossa. The ventral wall of tympanic bulla has been destroyed; the ventral part of the petrosal and the dorsal roof of the tympanic chamber is exposed. The foramen rotundum is missing, the postero-
Dehmictis Legionarictis Sminthosinis Trochictis Trigonictis vorax fortidens Mionictis sp. bowleri depereti kansasensis Dehm, 1950 UCMP 166190 F:AM 63296 UMMP V52868 BM M5313 KUVP 4604
left right left right Holotype 1 Holotype 2 Holotype 3
| UCMP |
University of California Museum of Paleontology |
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