''Isohyaenodon'' ("equal to Hyaenodon") is an
extinct 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 conver ...
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...
of
hyainailourid hyaenodont mammal from polyphyletic subtribe Isohyaenodontina (of the polyphyletic tribe
Hyainailourini
Hyainailourini ("hyena-cats") is an extinct polyphyletic tribe of hyainailourid hyaenodonts from paraphyletic subfamily Hyainailourinae that lived in Africa, Asia and Europe during the middle Eocene to middle Miocene.
Classification and phylo ...
within
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
* Subfami ...
). Remains are known from early 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 recent" ...
deposits in
Kenya
)
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,
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*) territories make up Eastern Africa:
Due to the histori ...
.
Description
''Isohyaenodon'' is distinguished from ''
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 ...
'' in having more robust molars, lower molars with a subequal paraconid and protoconid, and upper molars with a more well-developed protocone.
Classification and phylogeny
Taxonomy
''Isohyaenodon'' was considered possibly the same genus as ''
Leakitherium'' from the same region by Van Valen (1967), but subsequent studies have rejected this assumption.
''Isohyaenodon pilgrimi'' Savage, 1965 was formerly assigned to this genus, but has been renamed ''
Exiguodon pilgrimi''.
Phylogeny
The phylogenetic relationships of genus ''Isohyaenodon'' are shown in the following cladogram:
See also
*
Mammal classification
Mammalia is a class of animal within the phylum Chordata. Mammal classification has been through several iterations since Carl Linnaeus initially defined the class. No classification system is universally accepted; McKenna & Bell (1997) and Wilson ...
*
Hyainailourini
Hyainailourini ("hyena-cats") is an extinct polyphyletic tribe of hyainailourid hyaenodonts from paraphyletic subfamily Hyainailourinae that lived in Africa, Asia and Europe during the middle Eocene to middle Miocene.
Classification and phylo ...
References
Hyaenodonts
Miocene mammals of Africa
Prehistoric placental genera
{{paleo-mammal-stub