Galecyon
Temporal range: early Eocene
lower jaw of Galecyon mordax
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: †Hyaenodonta
Genus: †Galecyon
Gingerich & Deutsch, 1989[1]
Type species
†Galecyon mordax
Matthew & Granger, 1915
Species
  • †G. chronius (Zack, 2011)[2]
  • †G. gallus (Solé, 2013)[3]
  • †G. mordax (Matthew & Granger, 1915)[4]
  • †G. morloi (Smith & Smith, 2001)[5]
  • †G. peregrinus (Zack, 2011)
Synonyms
synonyms of genus:
  • Gallecyon (Lavrov, 1999)[6]
synonyms of species:
  • G. mordax:
    • Paeneprolimnocyon mordax (Delson, 1971)[7]
    • Prototomus mordax (Van Valen, 1965)[8]
    • Sinopa mordax (Matthew & Granger, 1915)

Galecyon ("polecat-dog") is an extinct genus of placental mammals from extinct order Hyaenodonta, that lived in Europe and North America (found in the Clarks Fork and Powder River basins of Wyoming) during the early Eocene.[9][1]

Description

Galecyon had robust canines and short, deep jaws. Prior to 2015, little was known about its post-cranial skeleton.[1] However, following the discovery of more complete fossils, it is now known to have been a primarily terrestrial animal weighing between 5.2 and 7.9 kg (11 and 17 lb), lacking the adaptations for climbing found in some of its close relatives.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Gingerich, Philip D.; Deutsch, Harvey A. (1989). "Systematics and evolution of early Eocene Hyaenodontidae (Mammalia, Creodonta) in the Clarks Fork Basin, Wyoming". 27 (13). Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan: 327–391. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ↑ Shawn P. Zack (2011.) "New Species of the Rare Early Eocene Creodont Galecyon and the Radiation of Early Hyaenodontidae" Journal of Paleontology, 85(2):315-336.
  3. ↑ F. Solé, E. Gheerbrant and M. Godinot (2013.) "Sinopaninae and Arfianinae (Hyaenodontida, Mammalia) from the Early Eocene of Europe and Asia; evidence for dispersal in Laurasia around the Paleocene/Eocene boundary and for an unnoticed faunal turnover in Europe." Geobios 46:313-327
  4. ↑ W. D. Matthew and W. Granger (1915.) "A revision of the Lower Eocene Wasatch and Wind River faunas." Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 34(1):1-103
  5. ↑ T. Smith and R. Smith (2001.) "The creodonts (Mammalia, Ferae) from the Paleocene-Eocene transition in Belgium (Tienen Formation, MP7)." Belgian Journal of Zoology 131(2):117-135
  6. ↑ A. V. Lavrov (1999.) "Adaptive Radiation of Hyaenodontinae (Creodonta, Hyaenodontidae) of Asia." in 6th Congress of the Theriological Society, Moscow, April 13–16, p. 138 [in Russian].
  7. ↑ E. Delson (1971.) "Fossil mammals of the early Wasatchian Powder River local fauna, Eocene of northeast." Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 146(4)
  8. ↑ L. Van Valen (1965.) "Some European Proviverrini (Mammalia, Deltatheridia)." Palaeontology 8(4):638-665
  9. ↑ PaleoBiology Database: Galecyon, basic info
  10. ↑ Zack, S. P.; Rose, K. D. (November 2015). "A postcranial skeleton of Galecyon: evidence for morphological and locomotor diversity in early Hyaenodontidae (Mammalia, Hyaenodontida)". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 35 (6): e1001492. Bibcode:2015JVPal..35E1492Z. doi:10.1080/02724634.2014.1001492. S2CID 86247155.


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