UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PUBLICATIONS 



BULLETIN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 



GEOLOGY 



Vol. 4, No. 9, pp. 171-175 ANDREW C. LAWSON, Editor 



A NEW SABRE -TOOTH FROM CALIFORNIA 



BY 



John C. Merriam 



Some years ago Mr. Bernard Bienenfeld of San Francisco 

 very kindly presented to the University of California a collection 

 of fossil mammalian remains containing' at least two carnivores 

 which are new to science. One of these has already been described 

 as the type of a new and peculiar canid genus, HyaenognatJuis* 

 The second form, which is described below, represents a large 

 species of sabre-tooth differing considerably from those pre- 

 viously described. 



MAOHAERODUS ( ?) ISCHYK US, n. Sp. 

 Text, Fig. 1. 



The species is known only from a mandible (No. 8140 Univ. 

 Calif. Palae. Col.) found with the type of Hyaenognathus near 

 the foot of the Temblor range at Asphalto, Kern County. This 

 specimen, like the others found with it, is covered with a very 

 thin film of gypsum preserving the fragile bone. 



The species is characterized by the great reduction of P 3 , the 

 presence of a single posterior cusp on P 4 , the absence of both 

 metaconid and heel from Mi, the shortness of the diastema, the 

 possession of a prominent flange below the symphysial region, 

 and the abbreviation and general robust character of the jaw. 



The age of the beds in which the mandible was found is not 

 definitely determined. Such stratigraphic and palaeontological 

 evidence as has been obtained indicates Quaternary or late Plio- 

 cene age. In addition to this, the evidence furnished by the 



*BuIl. Dept. Geol. Univ. Calif., Vol. 3, No. 14, p. 278. 



