Oxyaenidae

Last updated

Oxyaenidae
Temporal range: 58.9–39.7  Ma
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
Late Paleocene to Middle Eocene
Palaeonictis occidentalis.jpg
skull of Palaeonictis occidentalis
Patriofelis ferox NT.jpg
reconstruction of Patriofelis ferox
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Mirorder: Ferae
Clade: Pan-Carnivora
Order: Oxyaenodonta
Van Valen, 1971 [1]
Family: Oxyaenidae
Cope, 1877 [2]
Type genus
Oxyaena
Cope, 1874
Subfamilies
Synonyms
synonyms of order:
  • Oxyaenida (Van Valkenburgh, 2007)
synonyms of family:
  • Oxyaenoidea (Osborn, 1910)

Oxyaenidae ("sharp hyenas") is a family of extinct carnivorous placental mammals. [3] Traditionally classified in order Creodonta, this group is now classified in its own order Oxyaenodonta ("sharp tooth hyenas") within clade Pan-Carnivora in mirorder Ferae. The group contains four subfamilies comprising fourteen genera. Oxyaenids were the first to appear during the late Paleocene in North America, while smaller radiations of oxyaenids in Europe and Asia occurred during the Eocene. [4]

Contents

Etymology

The name of order Oxyaenodonta comes from Ancient Greek ὀξύς- (oxús-) 'sharp', name of hyena genus Hyaena and from Ancient Greek ὀδούς (odoús) 'tooth'.

The name of family Oxyaenidae comes from Ancient Greek ὀξύς- (oxús-) 'sharp', name of hyena genus Hyaena and taxonomic suffix "-idae". [5]

Description

They were superficially cat-like mammals that walked on flat feet, in contrast to modern cats, which walk and run on their toes. Anatomically, characteristic features include a short, broad skull, deep jaws, and teeth designed for crushing rather than shearing, as in the hyaenodonts or modern cats.[ citation needed ]

Oxyaenids were specialized carnivores that preyed on other terrestrial vertebrates, eggs and insects. They were capable of climbing trees, which is suggested by fossil evidence of their paws.[ citation needed ]

Classification and phylogeny

Taxonomy

Phylogeny

Cladogram according to Gunnel in 1991: [8]

Oxyaenidae

Tytthaena parrisi

Tytthaena lichna

Palaeonictis occidentalis

Palaeonictis peloria

Dipsalodon matthewi

Dipsalodon churchillorum

Dipsalidictis krausei

Dipsalidictis transiens

Dipsalidictis platypus

Dipsalidictis aequidens

Oxyaena gulo

Oxyaena intermedia

Oxyaena forcipata

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Sarkastodon</i> Oxyaenid genus from upper Eocene Epoch

Sarkastodon is an extinct genus of placental mammals from extinct subfamily Oxyaeninae within extinct family Oxyaenidae, that lived in Asia during the middle Eocene. It was a genus of large, carnivorous animals known only from a skull and jawbones. Sarkastodon was probably a hypercarnivore that preyed on large mammals in its range during the Middle Eocene, such as brontotheres, chalicotheres, and rhinoceroses. Its weight is estimated at 800 kg (1,800 lb), and its length at 3 m (10 ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Creodonta</span> Former order of extinct flesh-eating placental mammals

Creodonta is a former order of extinct carnivorous placental mammals that lived from the early Paleocene to the late Miocene epochs in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Originally thought to be a single group of animals ancestral to the modern Carnivora, this order is now usually considered a polyphyletic assemblage of two different groups, the Oxyaenids and the Hyenodonts, not a natural group. Oxyaenids are first known from the Palaeocene of North America, while hyaenodonts hail from the Palaeocene of Africa.

<i>Oxyaena</i> Extinct genus of carnivores

Oxyaena is an extinct genus of placental mammals from extinct subfamily Oxyaeninae within extinct family Oxyaenidae, that lived in Europe, Asia and North America during the early Eocene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carnivoramorpha</span> Clade of carnivores

Carnivoramorpha is a clade of placental mammals of clade Pan-Carnivora from mirorder Ferae, that includes the modern order Carnivora and its extinct stem-relatives.

<i>Machaeroides</i> Extinct genus of carnivores

Machaeroides ("dagger-like") is an extinct genus of sabre-toothed predatory placental mammals from extinct subfamily Machaeroidinae within extinct family Oxyaenidae, that lived in North America (Wyoming) from the early to middle Eocene.

<i>Patriofelis</i> Extinct genus of carnivores

Patriofelis is an extinct genus of large, cat-like predatory placental mammals from extinct subfamily Oxyaeninae within extinct family Oxyaenidae, that lived in North America from the early to middle Eocene. It was around 1.2 to 1.8 metres long, not including the tail, and weighed about 40–90 kg, making it around the same size as a modern cougar. It had short legs with broad feet, suggesting that it may have been a poor runner, but a quite good swimmer. As its close relative Oxyaena was a reasonably good climber, it is possible Patriofelis could climb as well. It is found in particular in the Bridger Basin of southwestern Wyoming and at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon, both in the United States.

<i>Palaeonictis</i> Extinct family of mammals

Palaeonictis is an extinct genus of placental mammals from extinct subfamily Palaeonictinae within extinct family Oxyaenidae, that lived in Europe and North America from the late Paleocene to the early Eocene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Jose Formation</span> A geologic formation in New Mexico

The San Jose Formation is an Early Eocene geologic formation in the San Juan Basin of New Mexico and Colorado.

<i>Galecyon</i> Extinct genus of mammals

Galecyon ("polecat-dog") is an extinct genus of placental mammals from extinct order Hyaenodonta, that lived in Europe and North America during the early Eocene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyaenodonta</span> Extinct order of mammals

Hyaenodonta is an extinct order of hypercarnivorous placental mammals of clade Pan-Carnivora from mirorder Ferae. Hyaenodonts were important mammalian predators that arose during the early Paleocene in Europe and persisted well into the late Miocene.

<i>Prolimnocyon</i> Extinct family of mammals

Prolimnocyon is an extinct paraphyletic genus of limnocyonid hyaenodonts that lived in Asia and North America during the late Paleocene to middle Eocene. Prolimnocyon chowi is the earliest known member of the hyaenodontid family Limnocyonidae.

<i>Tytthaena</i> Extinct genus of mammals

Tytthaena is an extinct genus of placental mammals from extinct subfamily Tytthaeninae within extinct family Oxyaenidae, that lived in North America from the late Paleocene to early Eocene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Machaeroidinae</span> Extinct subfamily of mammals

Machaeroidinae ("dagger-like") is an extinct subfamily of carnivorous sabre-toothed placental mammals from extinct family Oxyaenidae, that lived from the early to middle Eocene of Asia and North America. Traditionally classified as hyaenodonts, this group is now classified as a member of the family Oxyaenidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxyaeninae</span> Extinct subfamily of mammals

Oxyaeninae is an extinct subfamily of placental mammals from extinct family Oxyaenidae, that lived in Asia, North America and Europe from the late Paleocene to middle Eocene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limnocyonidae</span> Extinct family of mammals

Limnocyonidae is a family of extinct predatory mammals from extinct order Hyaenodonta. Fossil remains of these mammals are known from late Paleocene to late Eocene deposits in North America and Asia. Limnocyonids had only two molars in the upper and lower dentition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sinopidae</span> Extinct family of mammals

Sinopidae is an extinct family of predatory placental mammals from extinct order Hyaenodonta. Fossil remains of these mammals are known from early to middle Eocene deposits in North America, Europe and Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyaenodontinae</span> Extinct subfamily of mammals

Hyaenodontinae is an extinct subfamily of predatory placental mammals from extinct family Hyaenodontidae. Fossil remains of these mammals are known from early Eocene to early Miocene deposits in Europe, Asia and North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palaeonictinae</span> Extinct subfamily of mammals

Palaeonictinae is an extinct subfamily of placental mammals from extinct family Oxyaenidae, that lived from the late Paleocene to early Eocene of Europe and North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viverravinae</span> Extinct subfamily of carnivores

Viverravinae is an extinct subfamily of mammals from extinct family Viverravidae, that lived from the early Palaeocene to the middle Eocene in North America, Asia and Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Didymictinae</span> Extinct subfamily of carnivores

Didymictinae is an extinct subfamily of mammals from extinct family Viverravidae, that lived from the early Palaeocene to the middle Eocene in North America and Europe.

References

  1. Van Valen, Leigh (1971). "Adaptive Zones and the Orders of Mammals". Evolution. 25 (2): 420–428. doi: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1971.tb01898.x . PMID   28563121.
  2. E. D. Cope (1877.) "Report upon the extinct Vertebrata obtained in New Mexico by parties of the expedition of 1874." Report upon United States Geographical Surveys West of the One Hundredth Meridian, in charge of First Lieut. G.M. Wheeler, Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army, Vol. IV Paleontology, Part II, pp. 1-365. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.
  3. Halliday, Thomas J. D.; Upchurch, Paul; Goswami, Anjali (2015). "Resolving the relationships of Paleocene placental mammals" (PDF). Biological Reviews. 92 (1): 521–550. doi:10.1111/brv.12242. ISSN   1464-7931. PMC   6849585 . PMID   28075073.
  4. Gunnel, Gregg F.; Gingerich, Philip D. (30 Sep 1991). "Systematics and evolution of late Paleocene and early Eocene Oxyaenidae (Mammalia, Creodonta) in the Clarks Fork Basin, Wyoming" (PDF). Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology. The University of Michigan. 28 (7): 141–180. Retrieved 2010-01-03.
  5. Dixon, Dougal (2008). World Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures. Lorenz Books. ISBN   978-0754817307.
  6. Zack, Shawn P.; Poust, Ashley W.; Wagner, Hugh (2022-03-15). "Diegoaelurus, a new machaeroidine (Oxyaenidae) from the Santiago Formation (late Uintan) of southern California and the relationships of Machaeroidinae, the oldest group of sabertooth mammals". PeerJ. 10: e13032. doi: 10.7717/peerj.13032 . ISSN   2167-8359. PMC   8932314 . PMID   35310159. S2CID   247480756.
  7. Stucky, R. K.; Hardy, T. G. (2007). "A new large hypercarnivorous oxyaenid (Mammalia, Creodonta) from the Middle Eocene of the Wind River Formation, Natrona County, Wyoming" (PDF). Bulletin of Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 39: 57–65. doi:10.2992/0145-9058(2007)39[57:anlhom]2.0.co;2. S2CID   130956705.
  8. Gunnel, Gregg F.; Gingerich, Philip D. (1991). "Systematics and evolution of late Paleocene and early Eocene Oxyaenidae (Mammalia, Creodonta) in the Clarks Fork Basin, Wyoming" (PDF). Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology. The University of Michigan. 28 (7): 141–180.

Further reading