In the Shanshenmiaozui (SSMZ) fauna from Nihewan Basin, Canis chihliensis, Nyctereutes sp., Homotherium sp., Acinonyx sp., Lynx shansius and Pachycrocuta licenti have been identified. C. chihliensis is the dominant and best represented species whose fossil materials include crania, mandibles and postcranials, including nearly complete manus and pes. The giant cheetah Acinonyx sp. is only represented by postcranial skeletons (scapula, radius, proximal ulna and an almost complete manus), which represent the richest collection for its kind ever known in China. Nyctereutes sp. is only represented by a partial cranium and distal part of a humerus. Homotherium sp. is only represented by a partial lower m1. Lynx shansius is represented by a nearly complete mandible with p3 and m1 preserved in situ. The fossil materials of Pachycrocuta licenti include a juvenile mandible with dp2–4 and m1 attached, an isolated dp4 and a partial ascending ramus. The SSMZ carnivoran guild resembles those of the classic Nihewan fauna (CNF) and the Dmanisi fauna, which means they probably have a similar geologic age or slightly younger of the SSMZ fauna; and they also share the same open grassland/shrubland habitat. The postcranial bones of C. chihliensis and Acinonyx sp. from SSMZ represent the first records for their kinds in China.

We name a rare, hypercarnivorous and durophagous mustelid Sonitictis moralesi, new genus and species, in honour of Jorge Morales for his contributions to carnivore palaeontology. Sonitictis moralesi is from the middle Miocene Tunggur Formation of Inner Mongolia, China (Tunggurian Land Mammal age). S. moralesi has a short and robust jaw that deepens slightly behind the m1 and possesses a shallow groove at its ventral surface. Dentally, it has robust premolars and highly hypercarnivorous m1 that has lost the metaconid and a trenchant talonid. Known by three jaw fragments, knowledge of this new mustelid is still poor and its relationship uncertain. However, based on its possession of a ventral groove, robust premolars and hypercarnivorous first molar, we tentatively place it in the subfamily Mellivorinae, which includes modern Mellivora capensis (honey badger) and extinct species of Eomellivora, plus others. We conducted mandibular force profile analyses on one S. moralesi specimen and compared bite force estimates to several specimens of E. piveteaui, E. wimani and M. capensis. The results suggest that Sonitictis likely was a more capable predator and consumer of vertebrate prey than the extant Mellivora, reaching the low end of the bite force estimates for the larger and more robust Eomellivora.