Extinct genus of carnivorous mammal
Sivanasua is an extinct genus of carnivorous mammal found across Miocene Europe including Germany, Austria, France, Spain and the Czech Republic. Like other lophocyonids, "Sivanasua" had unusual lophodont dentition, meaning the molars had ridges across the grinding surface of the molars, an adaptation believed to be indicative of a herbivorous diet.
Discovery and naming.
The first fossils of "Sivanasua" from Attenfeld, Germany, were interpreted by Max Schlosser in 1916 as a relative of the red panda. Schlosser named them ""Aeluravus" viverroides". However, as the name was already occupied by a glirid, Pilgrim later suggested the name "Sivanasua" in its place. Pilgrim simultaneously named two more species from India and Pakistan, "S. himalayensis" and "S. palaeindica". Both these species, alongside "S. nagrii" (named by Prasad in 1963), were later recovered as primates. Crusafont-Pairó described a species from Spain in 1959 as "S. antiqua" and Fejar &amp; Schmidt-Kittler described "S. moravica" in 1984.
Phylogeny.
The exact relationship between "Sivanasua" and other carnivorans has long been debated, with historic hypothesis placing them within Ailuridae, Procyonidae and even Hyaenodontidae. More recent analysis of the fossil material suggest that lophocyonids were feliforms most closely related to hyenas, represented by "Protictitherium" in the phylogenetic tree depicted below. Within lophocyonids "Sivanasua" is a derived member, recovered as a sister taxon to "Lophocyon" by Morales et al. (2019).
Within the genus, "S. viverroides" from Central and Western Europe and "S. antiqua" from Spain were recovered as temporally and geographically separated sister taxa, with "S. moravica" being their last common ancestor.
Paleoecology.
The lophodont dentition observed in "Sivanasua" and related lophocyonids such as "Izmirictis" suggests adaptations towards a herbivorous lifestyle, with the microwear of the teeth being more similar to that of herbivores than obligate carnivores.
References.
 ;templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" / ;