| Panthera uncia pyrenaica Temporal range: 0.57–0.53 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Feliformia |
| Family: | Felidae |
| Subfamily: | Pantherinae |
| Genus: | Panthera |
| Species: | P. uncia |
| Subspecies: | P. u. pyrenaica |
| Trinomial name | |
| Panthera uncia pyrenaica Hemmer, 2022 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Panthera pardus tautavelensis Testu et al. 2010 | |
Panthera uncia pyrenaica, or Panthera pyrenaica, is an extinct pantherine felid that lived during the Middle Pleistocene in southern France. This taxon was initially suggested to be an European paleosubspecies of the modern snow leopard, but subsequently it has been assigned as a separate species within the genus Panthera.
Taxonomy
The holotype mandible was originally interpreted as a leopard fossil, and given the name Panthera pardus tautavelensis in the Program/Guide book for 16th International Cave Bear and Lion Symposium; however, this name, since it was not formally published in a scientific journal, is considered a nomen nudum. Hemmer who described the specimen in 2022 suggested that it represents a subspecies of the modern snow leopard, so he named the taxon as P. u. pyrenaica and attributed the colloquial names "European snow leopard" and "Arago snow leopard".
However, the 2025 study which described another possible European paleosubspecies (P. u. lusitana) recovered P. u. pyrenaica outside the modern snow leopard as P. pyrenaica due to the lack of similar traits, though it may be a basal related species, and claimed that its primitive traits are likely symplesiomorphic with the modern leopard instead. The same study also assigned an Early Pleistocene specimen from Longdan (Linxia Basin) of China as P. aff. pyrenaica, and the traits observed in both specimens might indicate that this taxon is likely less adapted to the cold environment and hunting caprines on the mountains.
References
- ^ Hemmer, H. (2023). "An intriguing find of an early Middle Pleistocene European snow leopard, Panthera uncia pyrenaica ssp. nov. (Mammalia, Carnivora, Felidae), from the Arago cave (Tautavel, Pyrénées-Orientales, France)". Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments. 103: 207–220. doi:10.1007/s12549-021-00514-y. S2CID 246433218.
- Testu, A.; Moigne, A.-M.; Lumley, H. de (2010). "La panthère Panthera pardus tautavelensis nov. ssp. des niveaux inférieurs de la caune de l'Arago à Tautavel (Pyrenées-Orientales, France) dans le contexte des Felidae (Felinae, Pantherinae) de taille moyenne du Pléistocène européen". 16th International Cave Bear and Lion Symposium, Azé (Saône-et-Loire, France, September 22nd-26th, 2010 (in French). Program/Guide book of excursions: 64.
- Jiangzuo, Q.; Madurell-Malapeira, J.; Li, X.; Estraviz-López, D.; Mateus, O.; Testu, A.; Li, S.; Wang, S.; Deng, T. (2025). "Insights on the evolution and adaptation toward high-altitude and cold environments in the snow leopard lineage". Science Advances. 11 (3): eadp5243. doi:10.1126/sciadv.adp5243. PMC 11734717. PMID 39813339.
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Panthera uncia pyrenaica | |