Puma lacustris

Lake cat; Temporal range: Pliocene (4.18–3.11 MA)–Early Pleistocene
	Holotype at the National Museum of Natural History
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Felidae
Genus:	Puma
Species:	†P. lacustris
Binomial name
	†Puma lacustris; (Gazin, 1933)
Synonyms
	Felis lacustris Gazin, 1933; Lynx lacustris (Gazin, 1933);

The lake cat (Puma lacustris) is an extinct species of Puma from the Blancan stage (from the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene). The type specimen is a partial fragment piece of the right side of the mandible retaining canine and cheek-teeth found in the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument from Idaho. The holotype was described in 1933 by Gazin who considered a smaller relative of the cougar.[1] The taxonomic identity has been uncertain at times, as a relationship (and classification) to lynxes has been purposed.[2] Additional specimens of this species of Puma have been found elsewhere in North America, such as Washington, California, Arizona, Texas, and Baja California.[3]

Taxonomy

The earliest lake cat fossils date to 4.18–3.11 MYA and are found in the Blancan Glenns Ferry Formation, Idaho.[4]

Description

Lake cats were medium-sized felines with a size intermediate between modern bobcats and cougars.[5] Remains of lake cats are extremely similar to those of the lynx-like Felis rexroadensis, though fossils of that species are smaller in comparison with the lake cat.[6]

References

^ Gazin, C.L. (1933). "New felids from the upper Pliocene of Idaho". Journal of Mammalogy. 14 (3): 251–256. doi:10.2307/1373825. JSTOR 1373825.
^ Bjork, P.R. (1970). "The Carnivora of the Hagerman local fauna (late Pliocene) of southwestern Idaho". Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. 60 (7): 3–54. doi:10.2307/1006119. JSTOR 1006119.
^ Bjorn, K.; Anderson, E. (1980). Pleistocene mammals of North America. New York: Columbia University Press. pp. 1–422. ISBN 978-0-231-03733-4.
^ Figueirido, Borja; Pérez-Ramos, Alejandro; Hotchner, Anthony; Lovelace, David M.; Pastor, Francisco J.; Palmqvist, Paul (2022-12-22). "The brain of the North American cheetah-like cat Miracinonyx trumani". iScience. 25 (12) 105671. Bibcode:2022iSci...25j5671F. doi:10.1016/j.isci.2022.105671. ISSN 2589-0042. PMC 9758517. PMID 36536677.
^ Lucas, Spencer G.; Estep, John W.; Williamson, Thomas E.; Morgan, Gary S. (1997). New Mexico's Fossil Record 1: Bulletin 11. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science.
^ Czaplewski, Nicholas J. (1987). "Middle Blancan vertebrate assemblage from the Verde Formation, Arizona". Contributions to Geology. 25 (2). University of Wyoming: 146–147.

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[Gazin1933-1] Gazin, C.L. (1933). "New felids from the upper Pliocene of Idaho". Journal of Mammalogy. 14 (3): 251–256. doi:10.2307/1373825. JSTOR 1373825.

[Bjork1970-2] Bjork, P.R. (1970). "The Carnivora of the Hagerman local fauna (late Pliocene) of southwestern Idaho". Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. 60 (7): 3–54. doi:10.2307/1006119. JSTOR 1006119.

[Bjorn&Anderson1980-3] Bjorn, K.; Anderson, E. (1980). Pleistocene mammals of North America. New York: Columbia University Press. pp. 1–422. ISBN 978-0-231-03733-4.

[4] Figueirido, Borja; Pérez-Ramos, Alejandro; Hotchner, Anthony; Lovelace, David M.; Pastor, Francisco J.; Palmqvist, Paul (2022-12-22). "The brain of the North American cheetah-like cat Miracinonyx trumani". iScience. 25 (12) 105671. Bibcode:2022iSci...25j5671F. doi:10.1016/j.isci.2022.105671. ISSN 2589-0042. PMC 9758517. PMID 36536677.

[5] Lucas, Spencer G.; Estep, John W.; Williamson, Thomas E.; Morgan, Gary S. (1997). New Mexico's Fossil Record 1: Bulletin 11. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science.

[6] Czaplewski, Nicholas J. (1987). "Middle Blancan vertebrate assemblage from the Verde Formation, Arizona". Contributions to Geology. 25 (2). University of Wyoming: 146–147.