Miacids are thought to have evolved into the modern carnivorous mammals of the order Carnivora. They were small carnivores, superficially marten-like or civet-like with long, lithe bodies and long tails. Some species were arboreal, while others lived on the ground.[13]
They probably fed on invertebrates, lizards, birds, and smaller mammals like shrews and opossums. Their teeth and skulls show that the miacids were less developed than modern carnivorans. They had carnivoran-type carnassials, but lacked fully ossifiedauditory bullae (rounded protrusions).
Miacidae as traditionally conceived is not a monophyletic group; it is a paraphyletic array of stem taxa. Traditionally, Miacidae and Viverravidae had been classified in a superfamily, Miacoidea. Today, Carnivora and Miacoidea are grouped together in the crown-clade Carnivoramorpha, and the Miacoidea are regarded as basal carnivoramorphs. Some species of the genus Miacis are closely related to the order Carnivora, but only the species Miacis australis and Miacis cognitus are a true carnivorans, as they are classified in the family Amphicyonidae within Caniformia.
The divergence of carnivorans from miacids is now inferred to have occurred in the middle Eocene (c. 42 million years ago).[14] Traditionally, the Viverravidae (viverravids) had been thought to be the earliest carnivorans, with fossil records first appearing in the Paleocene of North America about 66 million years ago, but recent cranial morphology evidence now places them outside the order Carnivora.[15] Later authorities disagreed, and propose that the viverravids arose in North America 66-60 million years ago, spread to Asia then later to Europe, and were the first carnivorans and possessed the first true pair of carnassial teeth.[16]: p8
It has been proposed that miacids arose in North America and Europe 60-50 million years ago then later spread to Asia.[17] Like the earlier viverravids, they possessed a true pair of carnassial teeth and therefore are related to order Carnivora.[18] They also possessed a full set of cheek teeth, were weasel to small fox sized, and lived in forests. All modern carnivorans arose from them.[16]: p9
^E. D. Cope (1880.) "On the genera of the Creodonta." Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 19:76-82
^W. D. Matthew (1909) "The Carnivora and Insectivora of the Bridger Basin, middle Eocene." Memoirs of the American Museum of Natural History 9:289-567
^Haeckel, Ernst (1895). Systematische Phylogenie: Wirbelthiere (in German). Vol. T.3. Berlin: G. Reimer.
^Trouessart, E. L. (1885) "Note sur le classification des Analgésiens et diagnoses d'espèces et de genres nouveaux." Bulletin de la Société d'études scientifiques d'Angers, 14, 46–89. [Publ. February, 1885. for year 1884.]
^Kalandadze, N. N. and S. A. Rautian (1992.) "Systema mlekopitayushchikh i istorygeskaya zoogeographei [The system of mammals and historical zoogeography]." Sbornik Trudov Zoologicheskogo Muzeya Moskovskogo Goschdarstvennoro Universiteta 29:44–152.
^Tielhard de Chardin, P. (1915) "Les carnassiers des phosphorites du Quercy" Annales de Paléontologie, 9, 101–192
^Miklos Kretzoi (1945) "Bemerkungen über das Raubtiersystem." Annales Historico-Naturales Musei Nationalis Hungarici, Budapest, vol. 38, pp. 59-83.
^O. P. Hay (1902.) "Bibliography and Catalogue of the Fossil Vertebrata of North America." Bulletin of the United States Geological Survey 179:1-868
^McKenna, Malcolm C.; Bell, Susan K. (1997). Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN978-0-231-11012-9. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
^J. J. Flynn (1998.) "Early Cenozoic Carnivora ("Miacoidea")." In C. M. Janis, K. M. Scott and L. L. Jacobs (eds.) "Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America. Volume 1: Terrestrial Carnivores, Ungulates, and Ungulatelike Mammals." Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ISBN9780521355193
^"Miacidae in the Paleobiology Database". Fossilworks. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
^Polly, David, Gina D. Wesley-Hunt, Ronald E. Heinrich, Graham Davis and Peter Houde (2006). "Earliest Known Carnivoran Auditory Bulla and Support for a Recent Origin of Crown-Clade Carnivora (Eutheria, Mammalia)" (PDF). Palaeontology. 49 (5): 1019–1027. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2006.00586.x.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
miacidae, small, points, former, paraphyletic, family, extinct, primitive, placental, mammals, that, lived, north, america, europe, asia, during, paleocene, eocene, epochs, about, million, years, these, mammals, were, basal, order, carnivora, crown, group, wit. Miacidae small points is a former paraphyletic family of extinct primitive placental mammals that lived in North America Europe and Asia during the Paleocene and Eocene epochs about 65 33 9 million years ago 9 10 11 12 These mammals were basal to order Carnivora the crown group within the Carnivoraformes MiacidaeTemporal range 65 0 33 9 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N early Paleocene to late Eocene skull of Miacis parvivorus skeleton of Vulpavus ovatus Scientific classification Domain Eukaryota Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Mammalia Clade Carnivoraformes Family MiacidaeCope 1880 1 Type genus MiacisCope 1872 Genera see classification Synonyms list of synonyms Cercoleptoidei Matthew 1909 2 Cynoidei Matthew 1909 Eucreodi Matthew 1909 Eucreodontia Simionescu 1928 Miacida Haeckel 1895 3 Miacinae Trouessart 1885 4 Miacini Kalandadze amp Rautian 1992 5 Miacoidae Teilhard 1915 6 Miacoidea Simpson 1931 Palaeocarnivora Pavlova 1927 Quercygalidae Kretzoi 1945 7 Uintacyonidae Hay 1902 8 Vulpavidae Matthew 1909 Miacids are thought to have evolved into the modern carnivorous mammals of the order Carnivora They were small carnivores superficially marten like or civet like with long lithe bodies and long tails Some species were arboreal while others lived on the ground 13 They probably fed on invertebrates lizards birds and smaller mammals like shrews and opossums Their teeth and skulls show that the miacids were less developed than modern carnivorans They had carnivoran type carnassials but lacked fully ossified auditory bullae rounded protrusions Contents 1 Classification 1 1 History of classification 1 2 Taxonomy 1 3 Phylogeny 2 ReferencesClassification editHistory of classification edit Miacidae as traditionally conceived is not a monophyletic group it is a paraphyletic array of stem taxa Traditionally Miacidae and Viverravidae had been classified in a superfamily Miacoidea Today Carnivora and Miacoidea are grouped together in the crown clade Carnivoramorpha and the Miacoidea are regarded as basal carnivoramorphs Some species of the genus Miacis are closely related to the order Carnivora but only the species Miacis australis and Miacis cognitus are a true carnivorans as they are classified in the family Amphicyonidae within Caniformia The divergence of carnivorans from miacids is now inferred to have occurred in the middle Eocene c 42 million years ago 14 Traditionally the Viverravidae viverravids had been thought to be the earliest carnivorans with fossil records first appearing in the Paleocene of North America about 66 million years ago but recent cranial morphology evidence now places them outside the order Carnivora 15 Later authorities disagreed and propose that the viverravids arose in North America 66 60 million years ago spread to Asia then later to Europe and were the first carnivorans and possessed the first true pair of carnassial teeth 16 p8 It has been proposed that miacids arose in North America and Europe 60 50 million years ago then later spread to Asia 17 Like the earlier viverravids they possessed a true pair of carnassial teeth and therefore are related to order Carnivora 18 They also possessed a full set of cheek teeth were weasel to small fox sized and lived in forests All modern carnivorans arose from them 16 p9 Taxonomy edit Family Miacidae Cope 1880 Genus Chailicyon Chow 1975 Genus Eogale Beard amp Dawson 2009 Genus Gracilocyon Smith amp Smith 2010 Genus Harpalodon Marsh 1872 Genus Lycarion Matthew 1909 Genus Messelogale Springhorn 2000 Genus Miacis Cope 1872 Genus Miocyon Matthew 1909 Genus Neovulpavus Wortman 1901 Genus Oodectes Wortman 1901 Genus Palaearctonyx Matthew 1909 Genus Paramiacis Mathis 1985 Genus Paroodectes Springhorn 1980 Genus Procynodictis Wortman amp Matthew 1899 Genus Prodaphaenus Wortman amp Matthew 1899 Genus Quercygale Kretzoi 1945 Genus Simamphicyon Viret 1942 Genus Tapocyon Stock 1934 Genus Uintacyon Leidy 1872 Genus Vassacyon Matthew 1909 Genus Vulpavus Marsh 1871 Genus Xinyuictis Zheng 1975 Genus Zodiocyon Tong amp Wang 2006 Phylogeny edit Ferungulata Euungulata nbsp Ferae Pholidota nbsp Creodonta nbsp Carnivoramorpha Viverravidae Ravenictis Sinopa insectivorus Carnivoraformes Carnivora nbsp Miacidae nbsp References edit E D Cope 1880 On the genera of the Creodonta Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 19 76 82 W D Matthew 1909 The Carnivora and Insectivora of the Bridger Basin middle Eocene Memoirs of the American Museum of Natural History 9 289 567 Haeckel Ernst 1895 Systematische Phylogenie Wirbelthiere in German Vol T 3 Berlin G Reimer Trouessart E L 1885 Note sur le classification des Analgesiens et diagnoses d especes et de genres nouveaux Bulletin de la Societe d etudes scientifiques d Angers 14 46 89 Publ February 1885 for year 1884 Kalandadze N N and S A Rautian 1992 Systema mlekopitayushchikh i istorygeskaya zoogeographei The system of mammals and historical zoogeography Sbornik Trudov Zoologicheskogo Muzeya Moskovskogo Goschdarstvennoro Universiteta 29 44 152 Tielhard de Chardin P 1915 Les carnassiers des phosphorites du Quercy Annales de Paleontologie 9 101 192 Miklos Kretzoi 1945 Bemerkungen uber das Raubtiersystem Annales Historico Naturales Musei Nationalis Hungarici Budapest vol 38 pp 59 83 O P Hay 1902 Bibliography and Catalogue of the Fossil Vertebrata of North America Bulletin of the United States Geological Survey 179 1 868 McKenna Malcolm C Bell Susan K 1997 Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level New York Columbia University Press ISBN 978 0 231 11012 9 Retrieved 16 March 2015 J J Flynn 1998 Early Cenozoic Carnivora Miacoidea In C M Janis K M Scott and L L Jacobs eds Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America Volume 1 Terrestrial Carnivores Ungulates and Ungulatelike Mammals Cambridge University Press Cambridge ISBN 9780521355193 Miacidae in the Paleobiology Database Fossilworks Retrieved 17 December 2021 IRMNG 2018 Miacidae Cope 1880 Accessed at http www irmng org aphia php p taxdetails amp id 102911 on 2019 01 22 Cost Ian N 2013 10 02 Extinct Animal of the Week Before Things Got Dire Extinct Animal of the Week Retrieved 2019 02 18 Ancestors Red Wolf Retrieved 2019 02 18 Polly David Gina D Wesley Hunt Ronald E Heinrich Graham Davis and Peter Houde 2006 Earliest Known Carnivoran Auditory Bulla and Support for a Recent Origin of Crown Clade Carnivora Eutheria Mammalia PDF Palaeontology 49 5 1019 1027 doi 10 1111 j 1475 4983 2006 00586 x a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link a b Wang X Tedford R H 2008 Dogs Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History Columbia University Press ISBN 978 0 231 13529 0 OCLC 822229250 Miacis extinct mammal genus Encyclopedia Britannica Retrieved 2019 02 18 The Cat Survival Trust www catsurvivaltrust org Retrieved 2019 02 18 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Miacidae amp oldid 1193166656, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
