1912] 



Merriam: 



Carnivora of Rancho La Brea 



4.1 



In the puma the roughly hammer-shaped proximal articular face 

 shows commonly a very narrow notch on the medial side, and 

 the posterior end of the facet terminates with a clearly-defined 

 margin some distance anterior to the posterior tubercle of the 

 proximal end of this bone. In the F. atrox and F. leo the 

 medial notch is very wide and the posterior end of the proximal 

 articular facet reaches almost to the end of the posterior proxi- 

 mal tubercle. In the puma the posterior lateral face for articu- 

 lation with metatarsal four is entirely distinct from the proximal 

 articular face. In the F. leo and F. atro.r this face extends 

 almost if not quite to the latero-proximal angle of the bone. In 

 the third metatarsals (no. 19290), from Rancho La Brea, the 

 proximal facets correspond in form to those of the puma. 



The third metatarsals in no. 19290 differ in general form 

 from those of F. hippolestes very slightly. They appear a little 

 heavier anteroposteriorly in the proximal region of the shaft, 

 and the antero-lateral side of the proximal end tends to 

 develop a small tubercle between the proximal face and the 

 antero-lateral face for metatarsal four. In the puma the shaft 

 narrows gradually for some distance down from the proximal 

 end, and there is no suggestion of a tubercle in the proximo- 

 lateral region. 



The two specimens representing metartarsal three are evi- 

 dently from a form of the same type as that seen in metatarsal 

 five and metacarpal four described above. This form is not 

 separable from the puma group by any characters thus far 

 known. 



Possible relationship of this form to the jaguar, Felis onca, 

 has been considered, but the jaw sems to differ distinctly from 

 that species. No material representing the extremities of tin 2 

 jaguar is available for comparison, but the nature of the mandible 

 would seem to suggest that the Rancho La Brea form is a puma 

 rather than a jaguar. Slight differences between the elements 

 available and the corresponding parts of pumas at hand for 

 comparison suggest that the Rancho La Brea specimens may 

 represent a species or a subspecies different from F. hippolestes, 

 and possibly a form as yet undescribed. 



