Harpagolestes
| Harpagolestes Temporal range: Middle Eocene–Late Eocene | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Skull of H. immanis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Eutheria |
| Superorder: | Laurasiatheria |
| Order: | Mesonychia |
| Family: | Mesonychidae |
| Genus: | Harpagolestes |
| Species | |
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Harpagolestes (hooked thief) is an extinct genus of hyena like, bear sized Mesonychidae that lived in middle and eastern Asia during the middle to late Eocene.
Jaw
Fossil specimens have been recovered in Mongolia, China, and at least one species in Korea and possibly North America. Harpagolestes exhibits strong, curved canine teeth, a deep lower jaw, massive skull, and heavy wear on the molars. This along with stout limb bones suggest that Harpagolestes was a scavenger and did not pursue its prey. The wear on the molars suggests it regularly cracked bones.