Oxyaenidae

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Oxyaenidae
Temporal range: 58.9–39.7 
Ma
Late Paleocene to Middle Eocene
skull of Palaeonictis occidentalis
reconstruction of Patriofelis ferox
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Mirorder: Ferae
Clade:
Pan-Carnivora
Order: Oxyaenodonta
Van Valen, 1971[2]
Family: Oxyaenidae
Cope, 1877[1]
Type genus
Oxyaena
Cope, 1874
Subfamilies
Synonyms
synonyms of order:
  • Oxyaenida (Van Valkenburgh, 2007)
synonyms of family:
  • Oxyaenoidea (Osborn, 1910)

Oxyaenidae ("sharp

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]

Etymology

The name of order Oxyaenodonta comes from

(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

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

  • Family: †Oxyaenidae (Cope, 1877)
    • Subfamily: †Machaeroidinae (Matthew, 1909)
      • Genus: †Apataelurus (Scott, 1937)
        • Apataelurus kayi (Scott, 1937)
        • Apataelurus pishigouensis (Tong & Lei, 1986)
      • Genus: †Diegoaelurus (Zack, Poust & Wagner, 2022)[6]
        • Diegoaelurus vanvalkenburghae (Zack, Poust & Wagner, 2022)
      • Genus: †Isphanatherium (Lavrov & Averianov, 1998)
        • Isphanatherium ferganensis (Lavrov & Averianov, 1998)
      • Genus: †Machaeroides (Matthew, 1909)
        • Machaeroides eothen (Matthew, 1909)
        • Machaeroides simpsoni (Dawson, 1986)
    • Subfamily: †Oxyaeninae (Cope, 1877)
      • Genus: †Argillotherium (Davies, 1884)
        • Argillotherium toliapicum (Davies, 1884)
      • Genus: †Dipsalidictis (Matthew & Granger, 1915)
        • Dipsalidictis aequidens (Matthew & Granger, 1915)
        • Dipsalidictis krausei (Gunnell & Gingerich, 1991)
        • Dipsalidictis platypus (Matthew & Granger, 1915)
        • Dipsalidictis transiens (Matthew & Granger, 1915)
      • Genus: †Malfelis (Stucky & Hardy, 2007)[7]
        • Malfelis badwaterensis (Stucky & Hardy, 2007)
      • Genus: †Oxyaena (Cope, 1874)
        • Oxyaena forcipata (Cope, 1874)
        • Oxyaena gulo (Matthew & Granger, 1915)
        • Oxyaena intermedia (Denison, 1938)
        • Oxyaena lupina (Cope, 1874)
        • Oxyaena pardalis (Matthew & Granger, 1915)
        • Oxyaena simpsoni (Van Valen, 1966)
        • Oxyaena woutersi (Lange-Badré & Godinot, 1982)
      • Genus: †Patriofelis (Leidy, 1870)
        • Patriofelis ferox (Marsh, 1872)
        • Patriofelis ulta (Leidy, 1870)
      • Genus: †Protopsalis (Cope, 1880)
        • Protopsalis tigrinus (Cope, 1880)
      • Genus: †Sarkastodon (Granger, 1938)
        • Sarkastodon henanensis (Tong & Lei, 1986)
        • Sarkastodon mongoliensis (Granger, 1938)
    • Subfamily: †Palaeonictinae (Denison, 1938)
      • Genus: †Ambloctonus (Cope, 1875)
        • Ambloctonus major (Denison, 1938)
        • Ambloctonus priscus (Matthew & Granger, 1915)
        • Ambloctonus sinosus (Cope, 1875)
      • Genus: †Dipsalodon (Jepsen, 1930)
        • Dipsalodon churchillorum (Rose, 1981)
        • Dipsalodon matthewi (Jepsen, 1930)
      • Genus: †Palaeonictis (de Blainville, 1842)
        • Palaeonictis gigantea (de Blainville, 1842)
        • Palaeonictis occidentalis (Osborn, 1892)
        • Palaeonictis peloria (Rose, 1981)
        • Palaeonictis wingi (Chester, 2010)
    • Subfamily: †
      Tytthaeninae
      (Gunnell & Gingerich, 1991)
      • Genus: †Tytthaena (Gingerich, 1980)
        • Tytthaena lichna (Rose, 1981)
        • Tytthaena parrisi (Gingerich, 1980)

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

References

  1. ^ 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.
  2. PMID 28563121
    .
  3. .
  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. 28 (7). The University of Michigan: 141–180. Retrieved 2010-01-03.
  5. .
  6. .
  7. .
  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. 28 (7). The University of Michigan: 141–180.

Further reading

  • David Lambert and the Diagram Group. The Field Guide to Prehistoric Life. New York: Facts on File Publications, 1985.