Moralesictis intrepidus gen. et sp. nov., the long journey of a Miocene honey badger´s relative to the New World

We describe a new genus and species of mellivorine mustelid from the late early Hemphillian (Hh2, c. 7.5 Ma) Box T Local Fauna of Texas, USA. Our phylogenetic analysis indicates that it is a basal eomellivorin. Moralesictis intrepidus is intermediate in size between Eomellivora and Mellivora capensis, the smaller extant honey badger. It is characterised by its strong muzzle, relatively convex skull profile, robust and unicuspid P1-P3, and a distinctive P4. The P4 has a mesially located robust and enlarged protocone, and is shorter in relative to the M1 width. The M1 occlusal morphology is primitive for a mellivorine. These traits distinguish it from other large-sized mustelids such as Eomellivora wimani from the Hemphillian (Hh3-4) of California, Plesiogulo spp. from several Hh3-4 North American localities, and Hoplictis cf. grangerensis from the late Clarendonian (Cl2), Nebraska. It also differs from the Barstovian Legionarictis fortidens and undescribed North American Clarendonian specimens of Sthenictis and Mionictis. Moralesictis intrepidus, previously identified as Eomellivora, unquestionably represents the oldest immigrant mellivorine to North America (Hh 2) and implies the entrance of Eomellivora to North America as a separate immigration event in Hh3-4. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:96AEE149-5B98-4779-AF65-152E8680527D