|
Hyaenodonta
Hyaenodonta (" hyena teeth") is an extinct order of hypercarnivorous placental mammals of clade Pan-Carnivora from mirorder Ferae. Hyaenodonts were important mammalian predators that arose during the early Paleocene in Europe and persisted well into the late Miocene. Characteristics Hyaenodonts are characterized by long, often disproportionately large skulls, slender jaws, and slim bodies. They generally ranged in size from 30 to 140 cm at the shoulder. While '' Simbakubwa kutokaafrika'' may have been up to (surpassing the modern polar bear in size), this estimate is suspect due to being based on skull-body size ratios derived from felids, which have much smaller skulls for their body size. Other large hyaenodonts include two close and later-surviving relatives of ''Simbakubwa'', '' Hyainailouros'' and '' Megistotherium'' (the latter likely being the largest in the group), and the much earlier-living '' Hyaenodon gigas'' (the largest species from genus '' Hyaenodo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ferae
Ferae ( , , "wild beasts") is a mirorder of Placentalia, placental mammals in grandorder Ferungulata, that groups together clades Pan-Carnivora (that includes carnivorans and their fossil relatives) and Pholidotamorpha (pangolins and their fossil relatives), and extinct order Pantolesta. General characteristics In mirorder Ferae The common feature for members of this mirorder is ossified tentorium cerebelli and the fusion of the scaphoid and lunate bone, lunate bones in the wrist.Floréal Solé & Thierry Smith (2013."Dispersals of placental carnivorous mammals (Carnivoramorpha, Oxyaenodonta & Hyaenodontida) near the Paleocene-Eocene boundary: a climatic and almost worldwide story"Geologica Belgica 16/4: 254–261 In clade Pan-Carnivora The common features for members of clade Pan-Carnivora are: * heterodont teeth that are sharp and for cutting meat, * canine teeth that are usually large, conical, pointed, thick and stress resistant, * and presence of the Carnassial, carn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pan-Carnivora
Ferae ( , , "wild beasts") is a mirorder of placental mammals in grandorder Ferungulata, that groups together clades Pan-Carnivora (that includes carnivorans and their fossil relatives) and Pholidotamorpha (pangolins and their fossil relatives), and extinct order Pantolesta. General characteristics In mirorder Ferae The common feature for members of this mirorder is ossified tentorium cerebelli and the fusion of the scaphoid and lunate bones in the wrist.Floréal Solé & Thierry Smith (2013."Dispersals of placental carnivorous mammals (Carnivoramorpha, Oxyaenodonta & Hyaenodontida) near the Paleocene-Eocene boundary: a climatic and almost worldwide story"Geologica Belgica 16/4: 254–261 In clade Pan-Carnivora The common features for members of clade Pan-Carnivora are: * heterodont teeth that are sharp and for cutting meat, * canine teeth that are usually large, conical, pointed, thick and stress resistant, * and presence of the carnassial teeth. Carnassials are feat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hyaenodon
''Hyaenodon'' ("hyena-tooth") is an Extinction (biology), extinct genus of Carnivore, carnivorous Placentalia, placental mammals from extinct tribe Hyaenodontini within extinct subfamily Hyaenodontinae (in extinct Family (biology), family Hyaenodontidae),Malcolm C. McKenna, Susan K. Bell (1997)"Classification of Mammals: Above the Species Level" Columbia University Press, New York, 631 pages. that lived in Eurasia and North America from the early Eocene to the early Miocene. Classification and phylogeny Taxonomy Description The skull of ''Hyaenodon'' was long with a narrow snout—much larger in relation to the length of the skull than in Canidae, canine carnivores, for instance. The neck was shorter than the skull, while the body was long and robust and terminated in a long tail. Compared to the larger (but not closely related) ''Hyainailouros'', the dentition of ''Hyaenodon'' was geared more towards shearing meat and less towards bone crushing. Some species of this ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hyaenodon Horridus Skull
''Hyaenodon'' ("hyena-tooth") is an extinct genus of carnivorous placental mammals from extinct tribe Hyaenodontini within extinct subfamily Hyaenodontinae (in extinct family Hyaenodontidae),Malcolm C. McKenna, Susan K. Bell (1997)"Classification of Mammals: Above the Species Level" Columbia University Press, New York, 631 pages. that lived in Eurasia and North America from the early Eocene to the early Miocene. Classification and phylogeny Taxonomy Description The skull of ''Hyaenodon'' was long with a narrow snout—much larger in relation to the length of the skull than in canine carnivores, for instance. The neck was shorter than the skull, while the body was long and robust and terminated in a long tail. Compared to the larger (but not closely related) ''Hyainailouros'', the dentition of ''Hyaenodon'' was geared more towards shearing meat and less towards bone crushing. Some species of this genus were among the largest terrestrial carnivorous mammals of their ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Apterodontinae
Apterodontinae ("without winged tooth") is an extinct subfamily of hyaenodonts from extinct paraphyletic family Hyainailouridae, specialised for aquatic, otter-like habits. They lived in Africa and Europe from the late Eocene to middle Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch (geology), epoch of the Paleogene Geologic time scale, Period that extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that defin .... Classification and phylogeny Taxonomy References {{Taxonbar, from=Q34514000 Hyaenodonts Cenozoic mammals of Africa Cenozoic mammals of Europe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Simbakubwa
''Simbakubwa'' ("great lion") is an extinct genus of hyaenodonts to the family Hyainailourinae that lived in Kenya during the Early Miocene. Discovery and Etymology The fossils of ''Simbakubwa'' were first discovered by rural Kenyans at Meswa Bridge, Western Kenya. Thereafter, Matthew Borths and Nancy Stevens published the findings after examining the fossils which had been stored at the Nairobi National Museum in Kenya for decades. The type specimen consists of a mandible from the lower jaw, a right upper maxilla and some postcranial remains. The light wear patterns on the dentition indicate that the holotype specimen was a young adult at the time of its death. The name of this genus comes from the Swahili language, meaning "great lion". The species name ''Simbakubwa kutokaafrika'' means "great lion of Africa”. Description Different regression models produce a wide range of body mass estimates for ''Simbakubwa kutokaafrika'': from a low estimate of , based on an equation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Digitigrade
In terrestrial vertebrates, digitigrade ( ) locomotion is walking or running on the toes (from the Latin ''digitus'', 'finger', and ''gradior'', 'walk'). A digitigrade animal is one that stands or walks with its toes (phalanges) on the ground, and the rest of its foot lifted. Digitigrades include birds (what many see as bird's knees are actually ankles), cats, dogs, and many other mammals, but not plantigrades (such as humans) or Ungulate, unguligrades (such as horses). Digitigrades generally move more quickly than other animals. There are structural differences between the Limb (anatomy), limb anatomy of plantigrades, unguligrades, and digitigrades. Digitigrade and unguligrade animals have relatively long carpals and tarsus (skeleton), tarsals, and the bones which correspond to the human ankle are thus set much higher in the limb than in a human. In a digitigrade animal, this effectively lengthens the foot, so much so that what are often thought of as a digitigrade animal's "hands ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), 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 recent" because it has 18% fewer modern marine invertebrates than the Pliocene has. The Miocene followed the Oligocene and preceded the Pliocene. As Earth went from the Oligocene through the Miocene and into the Pliocene, the climate slowly cooled towards a series of ice ages. The Miocene boundaries are not marked by distinct global events but by regionally defined transitions from the warmer Oligocene to the cooler Pliocene Epoch. During the Early Miocene, Afro-Arabia collided with Eurasia, severing the connection between the Mediterranean and Indian Oceans, and allowing the interchange of fauna between Eurasia and Africa, including the dispersal of proboscideans and Ape, hominoids into Eurasia. During the late Miocene, the conn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hyainailouros
''Hyainailouros'' ("hyena-cat") is an extinct polyphyletic genus of hyaenodont belonging to the family Hyainailouridae that lived during the Early to Late Miocene, of which there were at least three species spread across Eurasia and Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac .... Closely related to other large African hyaenodonts such as '' Simbakubwa'' and '' Megistotherium'', ''Hyainailouros'' walked with a semi-digitigrade stance and was probably capable of large, leaping bounds. References Hyaenodonts Miocene mammals of Europe Miocene mammals of Africa Miocene mammals of Asia Prehistoric placental genera Fossil taxa described in 1863 {{paleo-mammal-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carnivora
Carnivora ( ) is an order of placental mammals specialized primarily in eating flesh, whose members are formally referred to as carnivorans. The order Carnivora is the sixth largest order of mammals, comprising at least 279 species. Carnivorans are found on every major landmass and in a variety of habitats, ranging from the cold polar regions of Earth to the hyper-arid region of the Sahara Desert and the open seas. Carnivorans exhibit a wide array of body plans, varying greatly in size and shape. Carnivora are divided into two suborders, the Feliformia, containing the true felids and several animals; and the Caniformia, containing the true canids and many animals. The feliforms include the Felidae, Viverridae, hyena, and mongoose families, the majority of which live only in the Old World; cats are the only exception, occurring in the Old World and the New World, entering the Americas via the Bering land bridge. The caniforms include the Caninae, Procyonidae, bears, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Megistotherium
''Megistotherium'' is an extinct genus of hyaenodont belonging to the family Hyainailouridae that lived in Africa and possibly Asia as well. It first appeared in Early Miocene to late Middle Miocene from 22.5 to 12.0 million years ago, existing for . Taxonomy The name of this genus comes and . The name of species ''Megistotherium osteothlastes'' comes and (with ''-es'' being an agent noun: 'bone-crusher'). The family Hyainailouridae comprised a diverse group of hyaenodont predators that were most successful during the Eocene before being possibly ecologically displaced by the order Carnivora during the late Oligocene. ''Megistotherium'' emerged in the Miocene towards the end of the hyaenodonts' flourishing; it was a part of a radiation of African hyaenodontids that occurred at that time. '' Hyainailouros sulzeri'' is very closely related to ''Megistotherium'', extremely similar in size, structure and ratios - with a long tail, short limbs and robust body. Other authorities ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mustelidae
The Mustelidae (; from Latin , weasel) are a diverse family of carnivoran mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, polecats, martens, grisons, and wolverines. Otherwise known as mustelids (), they form the largest family in the suborder Caniformia of the order Carnivora with about 66 to 70 species in nine subfamilies. Variety Mustelids vary greatly in size and behaviour. The smaller variants of the least weasel can be under in length, while the giant otter of Amazonian South America can measure up to and sea otters can exceed in weight. Wolverines can crush bones as thick as the femur of a moose to get at the marrow, and have been seen attempting to drive bears away from their kills. The sea otter uses rocks to break open shellfish to eat. Martens are largely arboreal, while European badgers dig extensive tunnel networks, called setts. Only one mustelid has been domesticated; the ferret. Tayra are also kept as pets (although they require a Dangerous Wild Animals ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
