Hyainailourinae ("

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 ...

cats The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of t ...

") 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 ...

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 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 ...

that lived in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

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 ...

during the middle

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' ...

to middle

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 ...

Classification and phylogeny

Taxonomy

* Subfamily: †Hyainailourinae ^{(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)} ** Genus: †''

Megistotherium ''Megistotherium'' ("greatest beast") is an extinct genus of hyainailourid hyaenodonts from paraphyletic subfamily Hyainailourinae that lived in Africa. Etymology The name of this genus comes and . The name of species ''Megistotherium osteo ...

'' *** †''Megistotherium osteothlastes'' ** Genus: †'' Mlanyama'' *** †''Mlanyama sugu'' ** Genus: †''

Orienspterodon ''Orienspterodon'' ("eastern '' Pterodon''") is an extinct genus of hyainailourid hyaenodonts from paraphyletic subfamily Hyainailourinae that lived in China and Myanmar during the middle to late Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geologica ...

'' *** †''Orienspterodon dahkoensis'' ** Genus: †'' Pakakali'' *** †''Pakakali rukwaensis'' ** Genus: †''

Simbakubwa ''Simbakubwa'' ("great lion") is an extinct genus of hyainailourid hyaenodonts from paraphyletic subfamily Hyainailourinae that lived in Kenya during the early Miocene. Etymology The name of this genus comes from Swahili language for "great lio ...

'' *** †''Simbakubwa kutokaafrika'' ** (unranked): †''Akhnatenavus'' clade *** Genus: †'' Akhnatenavus'' **** †''Akhnatenavus leptognathus'' **** †''Akhnatenavus nefertiticyon'' *** Genus: †''

Hemipsalodon ''Hemipsalodon'' ("half-scissor tooth") is an extinct genus of hyainailourid hyaenodonts from paraphyletic subfamily Hyainailourinae that lived in North America during the middle to late Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch ...

'' **** †''Hemipsalodon grandis'' **** †''Hemipsalodon viejaensis'' *** Genus: †'' Ischnognathus'' **** †''Ischnognathus savagei'' ** Tribe: † Hyainailourini ^{(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)} *** Genus: †'' Exiguodon'' **** †''Exiguodon pilgrimi'' *** Genus: †''

Falcatodon ''Falcatodon'' ("curved tooth") is an extinct genus of hyainailourid hyaenodonts of the polyphyletic tribe Hyainailourini within paraphyletic subfamily Hyainailourinae, from the Early Oligocene (Rupelian) of the Faiyum Oasis depression in Egyp ...

'' **** †''Falcatodon schlosseri'' *** Genus: †''

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 ...

'' ^{(polyphyletic genus)} **** †''Hyainailouros bugtiensis'' **** †''Hyainailouros napakensis'' **** †''Hyainailouros sulzeri'' *** Genus: †'' Parapterodon'' **** †''Parapterodon lostangensis'' *** Genus: †'' Sectisodon'' **** †''Sectisodon markgrafi'' **** †''Sectisodon occultus'' *** Genus: †'' Sivapterodon'' **** †''Sivapterodon lahirii'' *** Subtribe: †

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 ...

tina ^{(polyphyletic subtribe)} **** Genus: †''

'' ^{(polyphyletic genus)} ***** †''Isohyaenodon andrewsi'' ***** †''Isohyaenodon zadoki'' *** (unranked): †''Pterodon'' clade **** Genus: †'' Kerberos'' ***** †''Kerberos langebadreae'' **** Subtribe: † Pterodontina ***** Genus: †'' Pterodon'' ****** †''Pterodon dasyuroides'' **** ''

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 ...

'': ***** †'' "Pterodon" syrtos'' *** ''

'': **** †'' "Pterodon" africanus'' **** †'' "Pterodon" phiomensis'' **** † ''"Pterodon"'' sp. 'DPC 5036'' ** Tribe: † Leakitheriini *** Genus: †'' Leakitherium'' **** †''Leakitherium hiwegi'' ** Tribe: †

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 ...

tini *** Genus: †''

'' **** †''Metapterodon brachycephalus'' **** †''Metapterodon kaiseri'' **** †''Metapterodon stromeri'' ** Tribe: † Paroxyaenini *** Genus: †'' Paroxyaena'' **** †''Paroxyaena galliae'' **** †''Paroxyaena pavlovi'' ** ''

'': *** † ''"Pterodon"'' sp. 'BC 15’08'' *** † Hyainailourinae sp. 'GSN AD 100’96'' *** † Hyainailourinae sp. 'UON 84-359'' *** † Hyainailourinae sp. A 'DPC 6555'' *** † Hyainailourinae sp. C 'DPC 9243'' & ''DPC 10315'' *** † Hyainailourinae sp. D 'DPC 6545''

Phylogeny

The phylogenetic relationships of subfamily Hyainailourinae are shown in the following cladogram:

References

{{Hyaenodonta Hyaenodonts Cenozoic mammals of Africa Cenozoic mammals of Asia Cenozoic mammals of Europe Cenozoic mammals of North America