A new study of fossil material from the German late Miocene site Hammerschmiede, made famous for the 2019 discovery of possibly the first great ape to have practiced bipedalism, has shown the area had a high diversity of small carnivores from five different families (Mustelidae, Mephitidae, Ailuridae, Potamotheriinae and Viverridae), with twenty different species identified. This diversity is similar to that seen today in modern sub-Saharan Africa.
Because many of the species are known from fragmentary remains, or even single teeth, it is expected that even more species will be discovered in the future, such as the relatively common Miocene mongoose Leptoplesictis.
The species identified include:
Mustelidae
Guloninae (wolverines and martens)
“Martes” sansaniensis
“Martes” munki
“Martes” sp.
Circamustela hartmanni
Laphyctis mustelinus
Guloninae indet.
Mellivorinae (honey badgers)
Eomellivora moralesi
Lutrinae (otters)
Vishnuonyx neptuni
Paralutra jaegeri
Lartetictis cf. dubia
Leptarctinae (extinct mustelid group)
Trocharion albanense
Mephitidae
Mephitinae (true skunks)
Palaeomeles pachecoi
Proputorius sansaniensis
Proputorius pusillus
Ailuridae
Simocyoninae (carnivorous red pandas)
Alopecocyon goeriachensis
Simocyoninae indet.
Potamotheriinae (unknown; either a mustelid or early seal)
Potamotherium sp.
Viverridae (genets and civets)
Semigenetta sansaniensis
Semigenetta grandis
Viverrictis modica
An article about the discoveries can be found here:
https://phys.org/news/2022-07-martens-wolverines-skunks-red-pandasgermany.html
The full scientific paper can be seen here:
The exceptionally high diversity of small carnivorans from the Late Miocene hominid locality of Hammerschmiede (Bavaria, Germany)
Because many of the species are known from fragmentary remains, or even single teeth, it is expected that even more species will be discovered in the future, such as the relatively common Miocene mongoose Leptoplesictis.
The species identified include:
Mustelidae
Guloninae (wolverines and martens)
“Martes” sansaniensis
“Martes” munki
“Martes” sp.
Circamustela hartmanni
Laphyctis mustelinus
Guloninae indet.
Mellivorinae (honey badgers)
Eomellivora moralesi
Lutrinae (otters)
Vishnuonyx neptuni
Paralutra jaegeri
Lartetictis cf. dubia
Leptarctinae (extinct mustelid group)
Trocharion albanense
Mephitidae
Mephitinae (true skunks)
Palaeomeles pachecoi
Proputorius sansaniensis
Proputorius pusillus
Ailuridae
Simocyoninae (carnivorous red pandas)
Alopecocyon goeriachensis
Simocyoninae indet.
Potamotheriinae (unknown; either a mustelid or early seal)
Potamotherium sp.
Viverridae (genets and civets)
Semigenetta sansaniensis
Semigenetta grandis
Viverrictis modica
An article about the discoveries can be found here:
https://phys.org/news/2022-07-martens-wolverines-skunks-red-pandasgermany.html
The full scientific paper can be seen here:
The exceptionally high diversity of small carnivorans from the Late Miocene hominid locality of Hammerschmiede (Bavaria, Germany)
