Oxyaenidae
| Oxyaenidae | |
|---|---|
| skull of Palaeonictis occidentalis | |
| reconstruction of Patriofelis ferox | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Mirorder: | Ferae |
| Clade: | Pan-Carnivora |
| Order: | †Oxyaenodonta Van Valen, 1971 |
| Family: | †Oxyaenidae Cope, 1877 |
| Type genus | |
| †Oxyaena Cope, 1874 | |
| Subfamilies | |
| Synonyms | |
|
synonyms of order:
synonyms of family:
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Oxyaenidae ("sharp hyenas") is a family of extinct carnivorous placental mammals. Traditionally classified in order Creodonta, this group is now classified in its own order Oxyaenodonta ("sharp tooth hyenas") within clade Pan-Carnivora in mirorder Ferae. The group contains four subfamilies comprising fourteen genera. Oxyaenids were the first to appear during the late Paleocene in North America, while smaller radiations of oxyaenids in Europe and Asia occurred during the Eocene.