''Brachypsalis'' is an

extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

mustelid 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 suborde ...

s, which existed during the

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 mea ...

period. The genus was first described by

E. D. Cope Edward Drinker Cope (July 28, 1840 – April 12, 1897) was an American zoologist, paleontologist, comparative anatomist, herpetologist, and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, he distinguished himself as a child prodigy interested i ...

in 1890. A similar genus, ''Brachypsaloides'', was later identified as synonymous with ''Brachypsalis''. Cope assigned the genus to the family ''

Mustelidae The Mustelidae (; from Latin , weasel) are a diverse family of carnivora, carnivoran mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, polecats, martens, grisons, and wolverines. Otherwise known as mustelids (), they form the largest family in the s ...

'', whilst J. A. Baskin assigned it to the subfamily ''

Oligobuninae ''Oligobuninae'' is an extinct subfamily of the family Mustelidae The Mustelidae (; from Latin , weasel) are a diverse family of carnivora, carnivoran mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, polecats, martens, grisons, and wolverines. O ...

'' in 1998.Paleobiology Database Five species have been identified in the genus: ''B. hyaenoides'', ''B. matutinus'', ''B. modicus'', ''B. obliquidens'', and ''B. pachycephalus''. A sixth species, ''B. simplicidens'', was later determined to be synonymous with '' Megalictis ferox''.

Notes

References

* Prehistoric mustelids Miocene mustelids Prehistoric mammals of North America Prehistoric carnivoran genera Taxa named by Edward Drinker Cope {{paleo-carnivora-stub