''Metapterodon'' ("next to '' Pterodon''") 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 Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

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 tribe Metapterodontini withnin

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: ...

, 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 ...

during 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 ...

to 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 ''Metapterodon'' were recovered from the

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 ...

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

Elisabeth Bay Formation The Elisabeth Bay Formation, alternatively spelled as Elizabeth Bay Formation, is an Early Miocene ( Aquitanian to Burdigalian, around 21 Ma) geologic formation in the Sperrgebiet, ǁKaras Region of southwestern Namibia, overlying the Blaubok Co ...

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

, and

Rusinga Island Rusinga Island, with an elongated shape approximately 10 miles (16 km) from end to end and 3 miles (5 km) at its widest point, lies in the eastern part of Lake Victoria at the mouth of the Winam Gulf. Part of Kenya, it is linked to Mbita ...

and Karungu in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

.''Metapterodon''
at

Fossilworks Fossilworks is a portal which provides query, download, and analysis tools to facilitate access to the Paleobiology Database The Paleobiology Database is an online resource for information on the distribution and classification of fossil animals ...

.org

Classification and phylogeny

Taxonomy

The

Paleogene The Paleogene ( ; British English, also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene; informally Lower Tertiary or Early Tertiary) is a geologic period, geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period million yea ...

species ''Metapterodon schlosseri'' and ''Metapterodon markgrafi'' have been reassigned to ''

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 ...

'' and ''

Sectisodon ''Sectisodon'' ("cutting tooth") is an extinct genus of hyainailourid hyaenodont mammal of the polyphyletic tribe Hyainailourini within paraphyletic subfamily Hyainailourinae from early Oligocene to early Miocene deposits in Egypt and Uganda. ...

'' respectively.

Phylogeny

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

References

Hyaenodonts Oligocene mammals of Africa Miocene mammals of Africa Fossils of Kenya Fossils of Namibia Fossil taxa described in 1926 Prehistoric placental genera {{paleo-mammal-stub

Classification and phylogeny

Taxonomy

Phylogeny

See also

References