Hyaenodontidae ("

hyena Hyenas, or hyaenas (from Ancient Greek , ), are feliform carnivoran mammals of the family Hyaenidae . With only four extant species (each in its own genus), it is the fifth-smallest family in the Carnivora and one of the smallest in the clas ...

teeth") is a family of extinct predatory

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

s from extinct superfamily

Hyaenodontoidea Hyaenodontoidea (" hyena teeth") is a superfamily of extinct predatory mammals from extinct order Hyaenodonta. Fossil remains of these mammals are known from early Eocene to early Miocene deposits in North America, Europe and Asia. Classificatio ...

within extinct order

Hyaenodonta Hyaenodonta (" hyena teeth") is an extinct order of hypercarnivorous placental pan-carnivoran mammals from mirorder Ferae. Hyaenodonts were important mammalian predators that arose during the early Paleocene in Europe and persisted well into the ...

. Hyaenodontids arose during the early

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene' ...

and persisted well into the early

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

. Fossils of this group have been found in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

and

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 traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

.The Paleobiology Database Hyaenodontidae page
/ref> (1985): ''The Field Guide to Prehistoric Life.'' Facts on File Publications, New York.

Classification and phylogeny

Taxonomy

* Family: †Hyaenodontidae ** Genus: †'' Boritia'' *** †''Boritia duffaudi'' ** Genus: †'' Neosinopa'' *** †''Neosinopa gobiensis'' ** Genus: †'' Praecodens'' *** †''Praecodens acutus'' ** Genus: †'' Preregidens'' *** †''Preregidens langebadrae'' ** Genus: †'' Protoproviverra'' *** †''Protoproviverra palaeonictides'' ** (unranked): †''Cynohyaenodon''/''Quercytherium'' clade *** Genus: †''

Cynohyaenodon ''Cynohyaenodon'' ("dog-like ''Hyaenodon''") is an extinct paraphyletic genus of hyaenodontid mammals from family Hyaenodontidae that lived during the early to middle Eocene in Europe. Phylogeny The phylogenetic relationships of genus ''Cynoh ...

'' ^{(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)} **** †''Cynohyaenodon cayluxi'' **** †''Cynohyaenodon lautricensis'' **** †''Cynohyaenodon ruetimeyeri'' **** †''Cynohyaenodon smithae'' **** †''Cynohyaenodon trux'' *** Genus: †'' Paracynohyaenodon'' **** †''Paracynohyaenodon magnus'' **** †''Paracynohyaenodon schlosseri'' *** Genus: †'' Quercytherium'' **** †''Quercytherium simplicidens'' **** †''Quercytherium tenebrosum'' ** (unranked): †''Eurotherium'' clade *** Genus: †'' Alienetherium'' **** †''Alienetherium buxwilleri'' *** Genus: †'' Cartierodon'' **** †''Cartierodon egerkingensis'' *** Genus: †''

Eurotherium ''Eurotherium'' ("european beast") is an extinct paraphyletic genus of hyaenodontid mammals from family Hyaenodontidae that lived during the early to middle Eocene in Europe. Phylogeny The phylogenetic relationships of genus ''Eurotherium'' are ...

'' ^{(paraphyletic genus)} **** †''Eurotherium mapplethorpei'' **** †''Eurotherium matthesi'' **** †''Eurotherium theriodis'' *** Genus: †'' Paenoxyaenoides'' **** †''Paenoxyaenoides liguritor'' *** Genus: †'' Prodissopsalis'' **** †''Prodissopsalis eocaenicus'' ** (unranked): †''Leonhardtina'' clade *** Genus: †'' Leonhardtina'' **** †''Leonhardtina godinoti'' **** †''Leonhardtina gracilis'' **** †''Leonhardtina meridianum'' ** (unranked): †''Matthodon'' clade *** Genus: †'' Matthodon'' **** †''Matthodon menui'' **** †''Matthodon peignei'' **** †''Matthodon tritens'' ** (unranked): †''Oxyaenoides'' clade *** Subfamily: † Oxyaenoidinae (syn. Francotheriini ) **** Genus: †'' Oxyaenoides'' ***** †''Oxyaenoides aumelasiensis'' ***** †''Oxyaenoides bicuspidens'' ***** †''Oxyaenoides lindgreni'' ***** †''Oxyaenoides schlosseri'' ** Subfamily: †

Hyaenodontinae Hyaenodontinae ("hyena teeth") is a subfamily of extinct predatory hyaenodontid 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. ...

*** Genus: †'' Consobrinus'' **** †''Consobrinus quercy'' *** Genus: †'' Propterodon'' ^{(paraphyletic genus)} **** †''Propterodon morrisi'' **** †''Propterodon paganensis'' **** †''Propterodon tongi'' **** †''Propterodon witteri'' *** Tribe: † Epipterodontini **** Genus: †'' Epipterodon'' ***** †''Epipterodon hyaenoides'' **** Genus: †'' Immanopterodon'' ***** †''Immanopterodon acutidens'' ***** †''Immanopterodon implacidus'' *** Tribe: †

Hyaenodon ''Hyaenodon'' (" hyena-tooth") is an extinct genus of carnivorous hyaenodont mammals from tribe Hyaenodontini, within subfamily Hyaenodontinae in family Hyaenodontidae,Malcolm C. McKenna, Susan K. Bell (1997."Classification of Mammals: Above t ...

tini **** Genus: †''

'' ***** †''Hyaenodon brachyrhynchus'' ***** †''Hyaenodon chunkhtensis'' ***** †''Hyaenodon dubius'' ***** †''Hyaenodon eminus'' ***** †''Hyaenodon exiguus'' ***** †''Hyaenodon filholi'' ***** †''Hyaenodon gervaisi'' ***** †''Hyaenodon heberti'' ***** †''Hyaenodon leptorhynchus'' ***** †''Hyaenodon minor'' ***** †''Hyaenodon pervagus'' ***** †''Hyaenodon pumilus'' ***** †''Hyaenodon requieni'' ***** †''Hyaenodon rossignoli'' ***** †''Hyaenodon weilini'' ***** †''Hyaenodon yuanchuensis'' ***** Subgenus: †''

Neohyaenodon ''Hyaenodon'' (" hyena-tooth") is an extinct genus of carnivorous hyaenodont mammals from tribe Hyaenodontini, within subfamily Hyaenodontinae in family Hyaenodontidae,Malcolm C. McKenna, Susan K. Bell (1997."Classification of Mammals: Above t ...

'' ^{(paraphyletic subgenus)} ****** †''Hyaenodon gigas'' ****** †''Hyaenodon horridus'' ****** †''Hyaenodon incertus'' ****** †''Hyaenodon macrocephalus'' ****** †''Hyaenodon megaloides'' ****** †''Hyaenodon milvinus'' ****** †''Hyaenodon mongoliensis'' ****** †''Hyaenodon montanus'' ****** †''Hyaenodon vetus'' ***** Subgenus: †'' Protohyaenodon'' ^{(paraphyletic subgenus)} ****** †''Hyaenodon brevirostrus'' ****** †''Hyaenodon crucians'' ****** †''Hyaenodon microdon'' ****** †''Hyaenodon mustelinus'' ****** †''Hyaenodon raineyi'' ****** †''Hyaenodon venturae''

Phylogeny

The phylogenetic relationships of family Hyaenodontidae are shown in the following cladograms:

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q133583 Hyaenodonts Eocene mammals Eocene extinctions Eocene mammals of North America Prehistoric carnivorans of North America Extinct mammals of North America Prehistoric mammal families