Miacis

Miacis was five-clawed, similar in size to a stoat (~30 cm, tail not included), weighed between 1 and 7 kg, and likely had highly reversible hind feet that assisted in its arboreal lifestyle, similar to those of a squirrel. It retained some primitive characteristics such as a low skull, a long slender body, a long tail, and short legs. Miacis retained 44 teeth, although some reductions in this number were apparently in progress and some of the teeth were reduced in size. The hind limbs were longer than the forelimbs, the pelvis was dog-like in form and structure, and some specialized traits were present in the vertebrae. It had retractable claws, agile joints for climbing, and binocular vision. Miacis and related forms had brains that were relatively larger than those of the creodonts, and the larger brain size as compared with body size probably reflects an increase in intelligence. Like many other early carnivoramorphans, it was well suited for an arboreal climbing lifestyle with needle-sharp claws, limbs, and joints resembling modern carnivorans. Miacis was probably a very agile forest dweller that preyed upon smaller animals, such as small mammals, reptiles, and birds, and might also have eaten eggs and fruits. ==Classification and phylogeny==

Classification History of taxonomy Since Edward Drinker Cope first described the genus Miacis in 1872, at least twenty other species have been assigned to Miacis. However, these species share few synapomorphies other than plesiomorphic characteristics of miacids in general. This reflects the fact that Miacis has been treated as a wastebasket taxon and contains a diverse collection of species that belong to the stemgroup within the Carnivoraformes. |thickness2=2 |thickness3=2 |thickness4=2 |label1=†Viverravidae|sublabel1=sensu lato |1= |label2=?|state2=dotted |2=†Carnivoramorpha sp. (UALVP 31176) |label3=?|state3=dotted |3=†Carnivoramorpha sp. (USNM 538395) |label4=?|state4=dotted |4=†"Sinopa" insectivorus |label5=Carnivoraformes |5= }} }} ==See also==