Extinct genus of felid
Sivapanthera is a prehistoric genus of felid described by Kretzoi in 1929. Species of "Sivapanthera" are closely related to the modern cheetah but differ from modern cheetahs by having relatively longer brain cases, flatter foreheads, narrower nostrils and larger teeth. In many ways, skulls of "Sivapanthera" show similarity to that of the puma, or even those of "Panthera". Scholars differ on the validity of this genus, while some think that it should be treated as a distinct genus, others think that its members should be treated as members of the "Acinonyx" genus, or even as subspecies of "Acinonyx pardinensis".
History of taxonomy.
In 1884, Lydekker described two rami from the Pinjor Formation as "Felis (?Cynaelurus) brachygnatha". Later, in 1925, Zdansky described "Cynailurus pleistocaenicus" based on fossils from Shansi, China.
In 1929, Hungarian palaeontologist Miklos Kretzoi described several new genera and species: in one paper he re-assigned "Felis (Cynaelurus) brachygnatha" as "Acinonyx brachygnathus", re-described one of its two referred specimens as the new genus and species "Sivapanthera lydekkeri"; then in a second paper, he described the genus "Abacinonyx" for "Cynailurus pleistocaenicus" (the type species) and "Felis (Cynaelurus) brachygnathus".
Also in 1929, American paleontologist W. D. Matthews made a review of Siwalik mammals in which he considered "Cynailurus pleistoceanicus" a junior synonym of "Felis brachygnatha", which was also very similar to "Felis arvernensis".
Guy Ellcock Pilgrim, in 1932, described a new genus "Sivafelis", with the new species "Sivafelis potens" as the type species and including "Felis (?Cynaelurus) brachygnatha" (="Sivafelis brachygnathus", and including "Sivapanthera lydekkeri" as a synonym) and "Cynailurus pleistocaenicus" (="Sivafelis pleistocaenicus"). He admitted that both "Abacinonyx" and "Sivapanthera" were older, but stated that the confusion around the type species- "Sivapanthera" was the senior-most name but its type species was a junior synonym of "Abacinonyx"' type- compelled him to name a new genus. Colbert Edwin, in his review of Siwalik mammals, followed Pilgrim's assignment of "Sivafelis brachygnathus" and "Sivafelis potens". But Simpson in 1945 noted that "Sivapanthera" was the senior and thus correct name for the genus, rendering "Sivafelis" and "Abacinonyx" junior synonyms.
A fourth species, "Sivapanthera linxiaensis" from Early Pleistocene deposits in China's Dongxiang Autonomous County, was described in 2004.
The status of "Sivapanthera" species is unresolved, with some researchers considering them all junior synonyms of "Acinonyx pardinensis", subspecies of "A. pardinensis", species in the genus "Acinonyx", or belonging to the genus "Sivapanthera" is various states of synonymy with each other. One paper has suggested in passing that "S. potens" is a synonym of "S. brachygnathus", while another paper stated that ""S." potens" was unlikely to belong to the same genus and was, in fact, more similar to "Panthera uncia" and "Panthera onca". In 2024, "S. pleistocaenicus" has been reclassified as a new species of "Acinonyx".
References.
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