Carnivoramorpha ("carnivoran-like forms") is a

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

placental mammals Placental mammals (infraclass Placentalia ) are one of the three extant subdivisions of the class Mammalia, the other two being Monotremata and Marsupialia. Placentalia contains the vast majority of extant mammals, which are partly distinguishe ...

that includes the modern order

Carnivora Carnivora is a Clade, monophyletic order of Placentalia, placental mammals consisting of the most recent common ancestor of all felidae, cat-like and canidae, dog-like animals, and all descendants of that ancestor. Members of this group are f ...

and its

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

stem-relatives.Bryant, H.N., and M. Wolson (2004
“Phylogenetic Nomenclature of Carnivoran Mammals.”
''First International Phylogenetic Nomenclature Meeting''. Paris, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle

Classification and phylogeny

Traditional classification

* Clade: Carnivoramorpha basal_clades_to_Carnivora,_but_without_Creodont.html" ;"title="Basal_(phylogenetics).html" ;"title="arnivora + all Basal (phylogenetics)">basal clades to Carnivora, but without Creodont">Basal_(phylogenetics).html" ;"title="arnivora + all Basal (phylogenetics)">basal clades to Carnivora, but without Creodonts] ** Order:

(carnivorans) *** Suborder:

Caniformia Caniformia is a suborder within the order Carnivora consisting of "dog-like" carnivorans. They include dogs (wolves, foxes, etc.), bears, raccoons, and mustelids. The Pinnipedia (seals, walruses and sea lions) are also assigned to this group. ...

("dog-like" carnivorans) *** Suborder:

Feliformia Feliformia is a suborder within the order Carnivora consisting of "cat-like" carnivorans, including cats (large and small), hyenas, mongooses, viverrids, and related taxa. Feliformia stands in contrast to the other suborder of Carnivora, Canifor ...

("cat-like" carnivorans) *** ''

Incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...

'': **** Genus: †'' Palaeogale'' ** Superfamily: †

Miacoidea Miacoidea ("small points") is a former paraphyletic superfamily of extinct placental mammals that lived during the Paleocene and Eocene epochs, about 66-33,9 million years ago.K. D. Rose, A. E. Chew, R. H. Dunn, M. J. Kraus, H. C. Fricke and S. ...

*** Family: †

Miacidae Miacids are extinct primitive carnivoramorphans within the family Miacidae that lived during the Paleocene and Eocene epochs, about 62–34 million years ago. Miacids existed for approximately . Miacids are thought to have evolved into the ...

*** Family: †

Viverravidae Viverravidae ("ancestors of viverrids") is an extinct monophyletic family of mammals from extinct superfamily Viverravoidea within the clade Carnivoramorpha, that lived from the early Palaeocene to the late Eocene in North America, Europe and As ...

*** ''

'': **** †'' "Sinopa" insectivorus'' ** ''

'': *** Genus: †'' Ravenictis'' *** † Carnivoramorpha sp. (''UALVP 31176'')

Revised classification

Recent phylogenetic studies indicate that the superfamily

and family

are

paraphyletic In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...

, with "miacids" being more closely related to carnivorans than to viverravids. In 2010 Flynn, Finarelli & Spaulding named a new clade

Carnivoraformes Carnivoraformes ("carnivoran-like forms") is a clade of Placentalia, placental mammals that includes the modern order Carnivora and its extinct stem-relatives. Classification and phylogeny Classification In 2010 Flynn, Finarelli & Spaulding name ...

within Carnivoramorpha, containing carnivorans and "miacids" but not viverravids. The authors defined Carnivoraformes as the clade containing Carnivora and all taxa that are more closely related to Carnivora (represented by ''

Canis lupus The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...

'') than to viverravids (represented by '' Viverravus gracilis''). * ''Clade'': Carnivoramorpha ** ''Clade'':

*** Order:

(carnivorans) *** Family: † Quercygalidae *** (unranked): †''Gracilocyon''/''Oodectes'' clade **** Genus: †'' Eogale'' **** Genus: †''

Gracilocyon ''Gracilocyon'' is an extinct genus of miacid carnivoran which existed in United States, Belgium and in the United Kingdom during the earliest Eocene. It was first named by Thierry Smith and Richard Smith in 2010 File:2010 Events Collage New ...

''^{(paraphyletic

In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...
genus)} **** Genus: †''

Oodectes ''Oodectes'' is an extinct genus of Miacidae Miacids are extinct primitive carnivoramorphans within the family Miacidae that lived during the Paleocene and Eocene epochs, about 62–34 million years ago. Miacids existed for approximately ...

''^{(paraphyletic genus)} **** Genus: †''

Paramiacis ''Paramiacis'' is an extinct genus of Miacidae. Christian Mathis has defined to make a difference between the miacids from Europe and the American genus ''Miacis''. There are two species of it, ''P. exilis'' (Henri Filhol, 1876) and ''P. teilhard ...

'' **** Genus: †''

Paroodectes ''Paroodectes'' is a miacid animal that lived during the early Eocene (ca. 50 million years ago) in the rain forests and swamps of the present-day Germany. It was a prehistoric predator that had the size and the appearance of a cat and was well ...

'' **** ''

'': ***** † ''"Miacis"'' sp. 'CM 67873'' & ''CM 77299'' *** (unranked): †''Vulpavus'' clade **** Genus: †''

Palaearctonyx ''Palaearctonyx'' is an extinct genus of omnivorous Miacidae which inhabited North America during the Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the ...

'' **** Genus: †''

Vassacyon ''Vassacyon'' is an extinct genus of Miacidae. It contains two species; ''Vassacyon promicrodon'' and ''Vassacyon bowni''. It is considered the largest of the early Eocene mammals Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constitut ...

'' **** Genus: †''

Vulpavus ''Vulpavus'' ("fox grandfather") is an extinct genus of Miacidae Miacids are extinct primitive carnivoramorphans within the family Miacidae that lived during the Paleocene and Eocene epochs, about 62–34 million years ago. Miacids exist ...

''^{(paraphyletic genus)} *** Genus: †'' Africtis'' *** Genus: †'' Ceruttia'' *** Genus: †'' Dawsonicyon'' *** Genus: †''

Dormaalocyon ''Dormaalocyon'' ("dog from Dormaal") is an extinct genus of placental mammals from clade Carnivoraformes, that lived in Europe during early Eocene. Type species, ''Dormaalocyon latouri'' was discovered when fossils were unearthed in the villa ...

'' *** Genus: †'' Harpalodon'' *** Genus: †'' Lycarion'' *** Genus: †''

Messelogale ''Messelogale'' is an extinct genus of Miacidae. Its fossils have been found in Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and ...

'' *** Genus: †''

Miacis ''Miacis'' is a genus of extinct carnivorous mammals that appeared in the late Paleocene and continued through the Eocene. The genus ''Miacis'' is not monophyletic but a diverse collection of species that belong to the stemgroup within the Ca ...

'' *** Genus: †''

Miocyon ''Miocyon'' is an extinct genus of Miacidae Miacids are extinct primitive carnivoramorphans within the family Miacidae that lived during the Paleocene and Eocene epochs, about 62–34 million years ago. Miacids existed for approximately . ...

'' *** Genus: †'' Neovulpavus'' *** Genus: †'' Procynodictis'' *** Genus: †''

Prodaphaenus ''Prodaphaenus'' is an extinct genus of Miacidae Miacids are extinct primitive carnivoramorphans within the family Miacidae that lived during the Paleocene and Eocene epochs, about 62–34 million years ago. Miacids existed for approxima ...

'' *** Genus: †'' Simamphicyon'' *** Genus: †''

Tapocyon ''Tapocyon'' ("dog from Tapo Canyon") is an extinct genus of placental mammals from clade Carnivoraformes, that lived in North America during the middle Eocene.J. J. Flynn (1998.) "Early Cenozoic Carnivora ("Miacoidea")." In C. M. Janis, K. M ...

'' *** Genus: †''

Uintacyon ''Uintacyon'' is an extinct genus of Miacidae Miacids are extinct primitive carnivoramorphans within the family Miacidae that lived during the Paleocene and Eocene epochs, about 62–34 million years ago. Miacids existed for approximately ...

''^{(paraphyletic genus)} *** Genus: †'' Walshius'' *** Genus: †''

Xinyuictis Xinyuictis is an extinct genus of Miacidae. It contains a species, ''Xinyuictis tenuis''. It was once suggested that the species was the same as ''Miacis ''Miacis'' is a genus of extinct carnivorous mammals that appeared in the late Paleoc ...

'' *** Genus: †'' Zodiocyon'' *** ''

'': **** †'' "Miacis" boqinghensis'' **** †'' "Miacis" deutschi'' **** †'' "Miacis" exiguus'' **** †'' "Miacis" gracilis'' **** †'' "Miacis" hargeri'' **** †'' "Miacis" hookwayi'' **** †'' "Miacis" invictus'' **** †'' "Miacis" latidens'' **** †'' "Miacis" lushiensis'' **** †'' "Miacis" petilus'' **** † Carnivoraformes undet. Genus A 'UCMP 110072'' **** † Carnivoraformes undet. Genus B 'SDSNH 56335'' ***

ichnotaxa An ichnotaxon (plural ichnotaxa) is "a taxon based on the fossilized work of an organism", i.e. the non-human equivalent of an artifact. ''Ichnotaxa'' comes from the Greek ίχνος, ''ichnos'' meaning ''track'' and ταξις, ''taxis'' meaning ...

of Carnivoraformes: **** Ichnogenus: †'' Falcatipes'' ** Superfamily: † Viverravoidea *** Family: †

** ''

'': *** Genus: †'' Ravenictis'' *** †'' "Sinopa" insectivorus'' *** † Carnivoramorpha sp. (''UALVP 31176'') *** † Carnivoramorpha sp. (''UALVP 50993'' & ''UALVP 50994'') *** † Carnivoramorpha sp. (''USNM 538395'')

Phylogenetic tree

The phylogenetic relationships of Carnivoramorpha are shown in the following cladogram:Prevosti, F. J. & Forasiepi, A. M. (2018
"Introduction. Evolution of South American Mammalian Predators During the Cenozoic: Paleobiogeographic and Paleoenvironmental Contingencies"
Springer Geology. Springer, Cham.

Classification and phylogeny

Traditional classification

Revised classification

Phylogenetic tree

References

Further reading