Oxlestes

Oxlestes Temporal range: Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Clade:	Eutheria
Genus:	†Oxlestes Nessov et al., 1982
Type species
†Oxlestes grandis Nessov et al., 1982

Oxlestes is an extinct mammal from the

Overall, the available proportions seem to indicate an animal comparable in size to the largest of modern mustelids and mid-sized felines.^[1]

Classification

Oxlestes was initially referred to Palaeoryctidae, a eutherian family, based on comparisons with several other Cretaceous eutherians like Zalambdalestes, Barunlestes and Asioryctes (none of which considered to be palaeoryctids anymore; Palaeoryctidae as a whole may be invalid).^[1] Posterior efforts have cautiously referred it to the metatherian clade Deltatheroida,^[2][5] mostly based on size and its carnivorous speciations, but recent studies have shown no evidence of specifically deltatheroidean or even metatherian characters.^[3][6][7][8] Averinov and Archibald et al. 2005 referred it to the eutherian clade Zhelestidae, suggesting a close relation to Sheikhdzheilia^[3] though this too is not entirely certain.^[9]

Ecology

Oxlestes was among the largest mammals of the Mesozoic, being comparable in size to modern mammalian predators such as

It is larger than some contemporary dinosaur species. Some researchers have even suggested that it could have predated on the local small ceratopsians such as Asiaceratops.^[10]

References