African Barbourofelinae (Mammalia, Nimravidae): a critical review

The fossil record of Afrosmilini (Nimravidae, Barbourofelinae) in Africa is reviewed. New material from the middle Miocene of Maboko leads to reassessment of the taxonomic allocations of some specimens and reconsideration of the afrosmilin status of others. Afrosmilini includes Jinomrefu lakwanza, Ginsburgsmilus napakensis, Afrosmilus africanus, A. turkanae, and A. hispanicus (Kenya, Uganda, Namibia, and Spain). Other Nimravidae in Africa, Syrtosmilus syrtensis (Libya), Vampyrictis vipera (Tunisia), and unnamed species from Fort Ternan and the Samburu Hills (Kenya) are here not considered Afrosmilini. There is a complete turnover of African Nimravidae between 14.7 Ma (Maboko) and 13.7 Ma (Fort Ternan) and evidence suggests that the new taxa were immigrants from Eurasia. This turnover coincides with the Middle Miocene Climatic Transition although the causal relationship is not yet clarified.