| Mesonychidae Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Harpagolestes immanis skull | |
| |
| Life reconstruction of Harpagolestes macrocephalus | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | †Mesonychia |
| Family: | †Mesonychidae Cope 1880[1] |
| Genera | |
|
See text | |
Mesonychidae (meaning "middle claws") is an extinct family of small to large-sized omnivorous-carnivorous mammals. They were endemic to North America and Eurasia during the Early Paleocene to the Early Oligocene, and were the earliest group of large carnivorous mammals in Asia. Once considered a sister-taxon to artiodactyls, recent evidence now suggests no close connection to any living mammal. Mesonychid taxonomy has long been disputed and they have captured popular imagination as "wolves on hooves", animals that combine features of both ungulates and carnivores. Skulls and teeth have similar features to early whales, and the family was long thought to be the ancestors of cetaceans. Recent fossil discoveries have overturned this idea; the consensus is that whales are highly derived artiodactyls.[2] Some researchers now consider the family a sister group either to whales or to artiodactyls, close relatives rather than direct ancestors. Other studies define Mesonychia as basal to all ungulates, occupying a position between Perissodactyla and Ferae. In this case, the resemblances to early whales would be due to convergent evolution among ungulate-like herbivores that developed adaptations related to hunting or eating meat.[3]
- ^ E. D. Cope 1880 in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
- ^ Wong, Kate (2002). "The Mammals that Conquered the Seas; New Fossils and DNA Analyses Elucidate the Remarkable History of Whales" (PDF). Scientific American. May 2002: 71–79 – via mtsac.edu.
- ^ Spaulding, Michelle; O'Leary, Maureen A.; Gatesy, John (2009-09-23). "Relationships of Cetacea (Artiodactyla) Among Mammals: Increased Taxon Sampling Alters Interpretations of Key Fossils and Character Evolution". PLOS ONE. 4 (9): e7062. Bibcode:2009PLoSO...4.7062S. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0007062. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 2740860. PMID 19774069.