Cynthiacetus

In Depth        Cynthiacetus was very similar to the famous Basilosaurus,‭ ‬one of the largest and most famous of the primitive archaeocetid whales.‭ ‬In fact the skull of Cynthiacetus is very similar to the skull of Basilosaurus in both size and form,‭ ‬but Cynthiacetus is known to be different by the simple observation that the vertebrae … Read more

Mammacyon

In Depth        Mammacyon was a‭ ‘‬bear dog‭’ ‬that has been assigned to the Temnocyoninae,‭ ‬and not surprisingly is thought to have been considered to be similar to the group type genus Temnocyon.‭ ‬Mammacyon seems to have been active at the same time as Temnocyon as well as many of the same locations,‭ ‬although the current … Read more

Sinobaatar

In Depth        Remains of Sinobaatar have been found inside the compsognathid dinosaur Sinosauropteryx proving that mammals like Sinobaatar along with others like Zhangheotherium were preyed upon by these kinds of dinosaur. Further Reading Further reading- Sinobaatar gen. nov.: first multituberculate mammal from the Jehol Biota of Liaoning, northeast China. – Chinese Science Bulletin 47(11):933-938. – … Read more

Apterodon

In Depth        A little known creodont genus,‭ ‬Apterodon fossil locations so far suggest that the genus roamed across Europe and North Africa from the late Eocene to early Oligocene periods.‭ ‬Although a creodont and a predator,‭ ‬Apterodon lacks the carnassial‭ (‬blade-like meat shearing‭) ‬teeth that are seen in other creodonts.‭ ‬This may indicate a different … Read more

Astrohippus

In Depth        Astrohippus is one of many of the horse genera that were roaming around North America during the Miocene period,‭ ‬but it is one of the few to be considered a close relative of the Equus genus which is where modern horses belong,‭ ‬though the tooth structure of Astrohippus strongly suggests that Astrohippus is … Read more

Ancylotherium

In Depth        Ancylotherium may have been an atypical chalicothere with short hind legs,‭ ‬long fore arms,‭ ‬sloping back and horse-like head,‭ ‬but it was one of the few that did not walk upon its knuckles.‭ ‬Most other chalicothere genera walked on their knuckles to avoid damaging their long claws which they used to hook around … Read more

Drassonax

In Depth        Although not a very well-known amphicyonid,‭ ‬Drassonax does help to reinforce the image of the earlier bear dogs being very small predators that were second to creodont mammals like Hyaenodon during the Oligocene.‭ ‬Ultimately however the creodonts did not adapt to changing climatic conditions which drove the development of new prey types,‭ ‬and … Read more

Rhynchippus

In Depth        Although the name means‭ ‘‬snout horse‭’‬,‭ ‬Rhynchippus was actually a notoungulate,‭ ‬a group of South American mammals completely unrelated to horses.‭ ‬Rhynchippus was actually an early relative to the much larger Toxodon that would appear much later around the Pliocene/Pleistocene eras.‭ ‬The similarity between Rhynchippus and primitive horses like Mesohippus is a case … Read more

Natchitochia

In Depth        Natchitochia is a genus of protocetid whale that lived in waters around North America during the mid-Eocene.‭ ‬Though only known from a few vertebrae and partial ribs,‭ ‬it is known that Natchitochia would have been similar to genera such as Eocetus,‭ ‬Pappocetus and Protocetus.‭ ‬Comparison to the vertebrae of Eocetus and the ribs … Read more

Palaeotherium

In Depth        The many individuals of Palaeotherium recovered from Eocene era deposits in Europe indicate that it was one of the most common mammals across Europe‭ (‬especially the Western portion‭) ‬during this time.‭ ‬When first described by Georges Cuvier,‭ ‬Palaeotherium was thought to be related to the ancient Tapirs,‭ ‬but today it is more widely … Read more