Hyopsodontidae

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Hyopsodontidae
Temporal range: Early Paleocene to Eocene
A tube sheep
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: †Condylarthra
Family: †Hyopsodontidae
Trouessart, 1789
Genera

see text

Hyopsodontidae is an extinct family of unspecialized, primitive mammals from the Condylarthra order, living from the Paleocene to the Eocene in North America and Eurasia

They were generally small insectivorous animals. The most common genus is Hyopsodus.

All of them were small ungulates, their size ranging from that of a squirrel to that of a weasel. Although much more herbivorous in their diet than the arctocyonids, and lacking their powerful canines, the hyopsodontids still had a generalized dentition, with a full set of incisors, canines, premolars, and molars. During the Paleocene in Europe, they reached a high diversity level, starting with Louisina and Monshyus in Hainin and following in the Cernaysian beds with Tricuspiodon, Paratricuspiodon, and Paschatherium.[1]

List of genera

  • Aletodon
  • Dorraletes
  • Haplaletes
  • Haplomylus
  • Hyopsodus
  • Litomylus
  • Microhyus
  • Paratricuspiodon
  • Paschatherium
  • Phenacodaptes
  • Tricuspiodon

References

  1. ↑ Agusti, Jordi; Anton, Mauricio (2002). Mammoths, Sabertooths, and Hominids: 65 Million Years of Mammalian Evolution in Europe. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-11640-3. .
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