Oxyaenidae

The name of order Oxyaenodonta comes , name of hyena genus Hyaena and . The name of family Oxyaenidae comes , name of hyena genus Hyaena and taxonomic suffix "-idae". ==Characteristics ==

'' at Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris They were superficially otter- or badger-like placental mammals that walked on flat feet, in contrast to most modern Carnivora, which walk and run on their toes. Though most genera were medium-sized by modern standards, they may have been the earliest group of large carnivorous mammals. The largest known oxyaenid was Sarkastodon mongoliensis, which could have weighed . However, this may have been an overestimate. All had two molars on each side of both the upper and lower jaw. While many oxyaenids, such as Patriofelis, were hypercarnivores, some such as Oxyaena were more omnivorous, with meat-based but varied diets similar to modern brown bears and racoons. Of the four families: • The Tytthaeninae were the earliest representatives of the group, generally smaller and with more unspecialized bodies and primitive features. • The Paleonictinae included intermediate-sized hypercarnivores and mixed feeders. This group was the first saber-toothed mammals in the fossil record. A flange on the lower jaw partially protected their long, slender saber canine teeth. They ranged from civet- to leopard-sized, probably lived in the trees of closed-canopy forests, and ambushed prey larger than their bodies. Since most large herbivores at the time were terrestrial, it is likely they dropped from trees onto their prey. Overall, oxyaenids had long, flat heads, long bodies with short legs, large claws, and reinforced, inflexible lower spines. The forelimbs were strong and flexible, and could twist to embrace and grapple, like the forelimbs of cats and unlike those of dogs. These adaptations suggest that hunting Oxyaenids were solitary ambush predators that would capture larger prey. == Evolution ==

Oxyaenodonts were believed to have evolved in the middle Paleocene in North America with the oldest known oxyaenodont, Tytthaena, being found there. Oxyaenodonts would disperse into Europe near the Paleocene-Eocene boundary via the De Geer route, however the timing of arrival in Asia is unknown. ==Classification and phylogeny==

Taxonomy The family Oxyaenidae is divided into four subfamilies, containing a total of fifteen genera between them. • Family: Oxyaenidae • Subfamily: Machaeroidinae • Genus: Apataelurus • Genus: Diegoaelurus • Genus: Isphanatherium • Genus: Machaeroides • Subfamily: Oxyaeninae • Genus: Argillotherium • Genus: Dipsalidictis • Genus: Malfelis • Genus: Oxyaena • Genus: Patriofelis • Genus: Protopsalis • Genus: Sarkastodon • Subfamily: Palaeonictinae • Genus: Ambloctonus • Genus: Dipsalodon • Genus: Palaeonictis • Subfamily: Tytthaeninae • Genus: Tytthaena Phylogeny Cladogram according to Gunnel in 1991: }} == Temporal distribution ==

Within clade Pan-Carnivora ImageSize = width:1000px height:auto barincrement:15px PlotArea = left:5px bottom:21px top:5px right:5px Period = from:-76.0 till:-0 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:10 start:-72.1 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:-72.1 TimeAxis = orientation:hor AlignBars = justify Colors = id:red value:red id:orange value:orange id:d-yellow value:rgb(1,0.9,0) id:yellow value:yellow id:l-green value:rgb(0.3,0.9,0.4) id:s-blue value:rgb(0.3,0.6,0.9) id:l-blue value:rgb(0.5,0.7,1) id:black value:black id:l-gray value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9) id:white value:white BackgroundColors = canvas:l-gray BarData = bar:eon-eonothem-top bar:space bar:era-erathem-top bar:space bar:system-period-top bar:space bar:series-epoch-top bar:space bar:stage-age-top bar:space bar:NAM1 bar:NAM2 bar:NAM3 bar:NAM4 bar:NAM5 PlotData = align:center textcolor:black fontsize:M mark:(line,black) width:25 shift:(7,-4) bar:stage-age-top from:-76.0 till:-72.1 color:l-green text: Within family Oxyaenidae ImageSize = width:1000px height:auto barincrement:15px PlotArea = left:5px bottom:21px top:5px right:5px Period = from:-61.0 till:-31.0 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:10 start:-59.2 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:-59.2 TimeAxis = orientation:hor AlignBars = justify Colors = id:red value:red id:orange value:orange id:d-yellow value:rgb(1,0.9,0) id:yellow value:yellow id:green value:green id:l-blue value:rgb(0.5,0.7,1) id:blue value:blue id:black value:black id:l-gray value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9) BackgroundColors = canvas:l-gray BarData = bar:eon-eonothem-top bar:space bar:era-erathem-top bar:space bar:system-period-top bar:space bar:series-epoch-top bar:space bar:stage-age-top bar:space bar:NAM1 bar:NAM2 bar:NAM3 bar:NAM4 bar:NAM5 bar:NAM6 bar:NAM7 bar:NAM8 bar:NAM9 bar:NAM10 bar:NAM11 bar:NAM12 bar:NAM13 bar:NAM14 bar:NAM15 bar:NAM16 bar:NAM17 bar:NAM18 bar:NAM19 bar:NAM20 bar:NAM21 bar:NAM22 bar:NAM23 bar:NAM24 bar:NAM25 bar:NAM26 bar:NAM27 bar:NAM28 bar:NAM29 bar:NAM30 bar:NAM31 bar:NAM32 bar:NAM33 bar:NAM34 bar:NAM35 bar:NAM36 bar:NAM37 bar:NAM38 bar:NAM39 bar:NAM40 PlotData = align:center textcolor:black fontsize:M mark:(line,black) width:25 shift:(7,-4) bar:stage-age-top from:-61.0 till:-59.2 color:orange text: bar:series-epoch-top from:-61.0 till:-56.0 color:orange text:Paleocene from:-56.0 till:-33.9 color:orange text:Eocene from:-33.9 till:-31.0 color:orange text:Oligocene bar:system-period-top from:-61.0 till:-31.0 color:orange text:Paleogene bar:era-erathem-top from:-61.0 till:-31.0 color:d-yellow text:Cenozoic bar:eon-eonothem-top from:-61.0 till:-31.0 color:l-blue text:Phanerozoic PlotData = align:left fontsize:M mark:(line,black) width:10 anchor:till align:left bar:NAM1 color:red from:-58.9 till:-57.8 text:Tytthaena parrisi bar:NAM2 color:orange from:-56.2 till:-55.4 text:Tytthaena lichna bar:NAM3 color:yellow from:-57.4 till:-55.4 text:Dipsalodon churchillorum *** bar:NAM4 color:green from:-56.2 till:-54.9 text:Dipsalodon sp. (UM 71172) *** bar:NAM5 color:blue from:-55.8 till:-55.4 text:Dipsalodon matthewi *** bar:NAM6 color:red from:-56.0 till:-55.2 text:Palaeonictis gigantea bar:NAM7 color:orange from:-54.9 till:-54.7 text:Palaeonictis wingi bar:NAM8 color:yellow from:-54.9 till:-53.0 text:Palaeonictis occidentalis bar:NAM9 color:green from:-55.4 till:-54.9 text:Palaeonictis peloria bar:NAM10 color:blue from:-53.0 till:-50.5 text:Ambloctonus priscus bar:NAM11 color:red from:-53.0 till:-50.5 text:Ambloctonus major bar:NAM12 color:orange from:-53.0 till:-50.5 text:Ambloctonus sinosus bar:NAM13 color:yellow from:-52.4 till:-49.2 text:Machaeroides simpsoni bar:NAM14 color:green from:-49.2 till:-46.2 text:Machaeroides eothen bar:NAM15 color:blue from:-47.0 till:-46.2 text:Machaeroidinae sp. (USNM 173514) bar:NAM16 color:red from:-46.2 till:-45.7 text:Machaeroidinae sp. (FMNH PM 1506) bar:NAM17 color:orange from:-45.7 till:-42.8 text:Apataelurus kayi bar:NAM18 color:yellow from:-45.0 till:-42.0 text:Apataelurus pishigouensis bar:NAM19 color:green from:-42.8 till:-39.7 text:Diegoaelurus vanvalkenburghae bar:NAM20 color:blue from:-42.8 till:-39.7 text:Machaeroidinae sp. (CM 2386) bar:NAM21 color:red from:-45.0 till:-42.0 text:Isphanatherium ferganensis bar:NAM22 color:orange from:-56.2 till:-54.9 text:Dipsalidictis aequidens *** bar:NAM23 color:yellow from:-56.2 till:-54.9 text:Dipsalidictis krausei *** bar:NAM24 color:green from:-55.8 till:-54.7 text:Dipsalidictis platypus *** bar:NAM25 color:blue from:-54.7 till:-54.1 text:Dipsalidictis transiens *** bar:NAM26 color:red from:-56.0 till:-55.2 text:Oxyaena woutersi bar:NAM27 color:orange from:-56.0 till:-50.8 text:Oxyaena sp. (Europe) bar:NAM28 color:yellow from:-54.7 till:-54.1 text:Oxyaena gulo bar:NAM29 color:green from:-54.7 till:-53.0 text:Oxyaena intermedia bar:NAM30 color:blue from:-54.1 till:-52.9 text:Oxyaena forcipata bar:NAM31 color:red from:-53.0 till:-50.5 text:Oxyaena lupina bar:NAM32 color:orange from:-53.0 till:-50.5 text:Oxyaena pardalis bar:NAM33 color:yellow from:-53.0 till:-50.5 text:Oxyaena simpsoni bar:NAM34 color:green from:-55.2 till:-50.8 text:Argillotherium toliapicum bar:NAM35 color:blue from:-50.5 till:-49.2 text:Malfelis badwaterensis bar:NAM36 color:red from:-50.5 till:-49.2 text:Protopsalis tigrinus bar:NAM37 color:orange from:-50.5 till:-46.2 text:Patriofelis ferox bar:NAM38 color:yellow from:-50.5 till:-46.2 text:Patriofelis ulta bar:NAM39 color:green from:-45.0 till:-42.0 text:Sarkastodon henanensis bar:NAM40 color:blue from:-45.0 till:-39.9 text:Sarkastodon mongoliensis ==See also==