Herpestides

Herpestides is an extinct genus of terrestrial carnivore that was endemic to North Africa and Southern Europe during the Early Miocene subepoch (22.4—20 mya) and existed for approximately 2.4 million years.[1]

Herpestides
Temporal range: Early Miocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Feliformia
Clade: Aeluroidea
Genus: †Herpestides
de Beaumont, 1967
Species
  • H. aegypticus
  • H. aequatorialis
  • H. antiquus
  • H. compactus

Taxonomy

Herpestides is considered to belong to the Aeluroidea group of cat-like carnivores[2] and, in particular, to the Viverridae.[3]

Four species are recognised:

  • H. aegypticus
  • H. aequatorialis
  • H. antiquus
  • H. compactus

References
  1. PaleoBiology Database: Herpestides, basic info
  2. R. M. Hunt. 1989. Evolution of the aeluroid Carnivora: significance of the ventral promontorial process of the petrosal, and the origin of basicranial patterns in the living families. American Museum Novitates
  3. Morlo, M.; et al. (2007). "Creodonta and Carnivora from Wadi Moghra, Egypt". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 27 (1): 145–159. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2007)27[145:CACFWM]2.0.CO;2.


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