Oxyaenidae

Oxyaenidae ("sharp hyenas") is a family of extinct carnivorous placental mammals. Traditionally classified in order Creodonta, this group is now classified in its own order Oxyaenodonta ("sharp tooth hyenas") within clade Pan-Carnivora in mirorder Ferae. The group contains four subfamilies comprising fourteen genera. Oxyaenids were the first to appear during the late Paleocene in North America, while smaller radiations of oxyaenids in Europe and Asia occurred during the Eocene.

Etymology

The name of order Oxyaenodonta comes from Ancient Greek ὀξύς (oxús) 'sharp', name of hyena genus Hyaena and from Ancient Greek ὀδούς (odoús) 'tooth'.

The name of family Oxyaenidae comes from Ancient Greek ὀξύς (oxús) 'sharp', name of hyena genus Hyaena and taxonomic suffix "-idae".

Description

They were superficially cat-like mammals that walked on flat feet, in contrast to modern cats, which walk and run on their toes. Anatomically, characteristic features include a short, broad skull, deep jaws, and teeth designed for crushing rather than shearing, as in the hyaenodonts or modern cats.

Oxyaenids were specialized carnivores that preyed on other terrestrial vertebrates, eggs and insects. They were capable of climbing trees, which is suggested by fossil evidence of their paws.

Classification and phylogeny

Taxonomy

• Family: †Oxyaenidae (Cope, 1877)
  • Subfamily: †Machaeroidinae (Matthew, 1909)
    • Genus: †Apataelurus (Scott, 1937)
      • †Apataelurus kayi (Scott, 1937)
      • †Apataelurus pishigouensis (Tong & Lei, 1986)
    • Genus: †Diegoaelurus (Zack, Poust & Wagner, 2022)
      • Diegoaelurus vanvalkenburghae (Zack, Poust & Wagner, 2022)
    • Genus: †Isphanatherium (Lavrov & Averianov, 1998)
      • Isphanatherium ferganensis (Lavrov & Averianov, 1998)
    • Genus: †Machaeroides (Matthew, 1909)
      • †Machaeroides eothen (Matthew, 1909)
      • †Machaeroides simpsoni (Dawson, 1986)
  • Subfamily: †Oxyaeninae (Cope, 1877)
    • Genus: †Argillotherium (Davies, 1884)
      • †Argillotherium toliapicum (Davies, 1884)
    • Genus: †Dipsalidictis (Matthew & Granger, 1915)
      • †Dipsalidictis aequidens (Matthew & Granger, 1915)
      • †Dipsalidictis krausei (Gunnell & Gingerich, 1991)
      • †Dipsalidictis platypus (Matthew & Granger, 1915)
      • †Dipsalidictis transiens (Matthew & Granger, 1915)
    • Genus: †Malfelis (Stucky & Hardy, 2007)
      • †Malfelis badwaterensis (Stucky & Hardy, 2007)
    • Genus: †Oxyaena (Cope, 1874)
      • †Oxyaena forcipata (Cope, 1874)
      • †Oxyaena gulo (Matthew & Granger, 1915)
      • †Oxyaena intermedia (Denison, 1938)
      • †Oxyaena lupina (Cope, 1874)
      • †Oxyaena pardalis (Matthew & Granger, 1915)
      • †Oxyaena simpsoni (Van Valen, 1966)
      • †Oxyaena woutersi (Lange-Badré & Godinot, 1982)
    • Genus: †Patriofelis (Leidy, 1870)
      • †Patriofelis ferox (Marsh, 1872)
      • †Patriofelis ulta (Leidy, 1870)
    • Genus: †Protopsalis (Cope, 1880)
      • †Protopsalis tigrinus (Cope, 1880)
    • Genus: †Sarkastodon (Granger, 1938)
      • †Sarkastodon henanensis (Tong & Lei, 1986)
      • †Sarkastodon mongoliensis (Granger, 1938)
  • Subfamily: †Palaeonictinae (Denison, 1938)
    • Genus: †Ambloctonus (Cope, 1875)
      • †Ambloctonus major (Denison, 1938)
      • †Ambloctonus priscus (Matthew & Granger, 1915)
      • †Ambloctonus sinosus (Cope, 1875)
    • Genus: †Dipsalodon (Jepsen, 1930)
      • †Dipsalodon churchillorum (Rose, 1981)
      • †Dipsalodon matthewi (Jepsen, 1930)
    • Genus: †Palaeonictis (de Blainville, 1842)
      • †Palaeonictis gigantea (de Blainville, 1842)
      • †Palaeonictis occidentalis (Osborn, 1892)
      • †Palaeonictis peloria (Rose, 1981)
      • †Palaeonictis wingi (Chester, 2010)
  • Subfamily: †Tytthaeninae (Gunnell & Gingerich, 1991)
    • Genus: †Tytthaena (Gingerich, 1980)
      • †Tytthaena lichna (Rose, 1981)
      • †Tytthaena parrisi (Gingerich, 1980)

Phylogeny

Cladogram according to Gunnel in 1991:

See also

• Mammal classification
• Ferae
• Creodonta

References

Further reading

• David Lambert and the Diagram Group. The Field Guide to Prehistoric Life. New York: Facts on File Publications, 1985. ISBN 0-8160-1125-7