''Falcatodon'' ("curved tooth") is an

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 ...

genus of hyainailourid

hyaenodonts Hyaenodontidae ("hyena teeth") is a family of extinct predatory mammals from extinct superfamily Hyaenodontoidea within extinct order Hyaenodonta. Hyaenodontids arose during the early Eocene and persisted well into the early Miocene. Fossils of t ...

of the

polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage of organisms or other evolving elements that is of mixed evolutionary origin. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as homoplasies, which are explained as a result of converg ...

tribe Hyainailourini within

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 ...

subfamily

Hyainailourinae Hyainailourinae ("hyena-cats") is an extinct paraphyletic subfamily of hyainailourid hyaenodonts that lived in Africa, Asia, North America and Europe during the middle Eocene to middle Miocene. Classification and phylogeny Taxonomy * Subfamily: ...

, from the Early

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but the ...

(

Rupelian The Rupelian is, in the geologic timescale, the older of two ages or the lower of two stages of the Oligocene Epoch/ Series. It spans the time between . It is preceded by the Priabonian Stage (part of the Eocene) and is followed by the Chattian ...

) of the

Faiyum Oasis The Faiyum Oasis ( ar, واحة الفيوم ''Waḥet El Fayyum'') is a depression or basin in the desert immediately to the west of the Nile, or just 62 miles south of Cairo in Egypt. The extent of the basin area is estimated at between 1,270 ...

depression in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

Description

Morales and Pickford (2017, p. 344) diagnose ''Falcatodon'' as follows: "Medium sized Hyainailourinae, differing from ''

Metapterodon ''Metapterodon'' ("next to '' Pterodon''") is an extinct genus of hyainailourid hyaenodonts of the tribe Metapterodontini withnin paraphyletic subfamily Hyainailourinae, that lived in Africa during the early Oligocene to early Miocene. Fossils ...

'' by the reduction of the protocone in the upper molars (M1 – M2), which is located in a very anterior position. It differs from ''

Hyainailouros ''Hyainailouros'' (" hyena-cat") is an extinct polyphyletic genus of hyainailourid hyaenodont mammal of the polyphyletic tribe Hyainailourini within paraphyletic subfamily Hyainailourinae, that lived during the early to middle Miocene, of wh ...

'' by the more sectorial morphology of the upper molars, with more advanced fusion of the paracone-metacone with, nevertheless, a groove separating the cusps visible in the M1. Lower molars sectorial with reduced talonid and without a metaconid. It differs from ''

Isohyaenodon ''Isohyaenodon'' ("equal to Hyaenodon") is an extinct polyphyletic genus of hyainailourid hyaenodont mammal from polyphyletic subtribe Isohyaenodontina (of the polyphyletic tribe Hyainailourini within paraphyletic subfamily Hyainailourinae). Re ...

'', '' Sectisodon'' and '' Exiguodon'', by the lesser reduction of the protocone in the upper molars which, above all, retain a stretched out subtriangular occlusal outline."

Classification and phylogeny

Taxonomy

''Falcatodon'' was originally described as a new species of ''Metapterodon'', ''M. schlosseri'' by Holroyd (1999), who nonetheless recognized that Eocene and Oligocene hyainailourids he assigned to ''Metapterodon'' might prove generically distinct. Subsequent study demonstrated that ''Falcatodon'' is not only distinct from ''Metapterodon'' but also closely related to ''Isohyaenodon''.

Phylogeny

The phylogenetic relationships of genus ''Falcatodon'' are shown in the following cladogram:

References

Hyaenodonts Oligocene mammals of Africa Fossil taxa described in 2017 Prehistoric placental genera {{paleo-mammal-stub

Description

Classification and phylogeny

Taxonomy

Phylogeny

See also

References