PHOENIX, Dec. 9 (UPI) — Before the emergence of more recognizable mammalian predators — wolves, bears, lions and other members of the modern order Carnivora — the food chain was topped by a group of mammalian carnivores called hyaenodontids.
A newly discovered and exceptionally well-preserved hyaenodontae fossil — recently described in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology — has offered scientists a better understanding of the ecology and evolution of these extinct predators.
The newly unearthed skeleton belongs to a genus of hyaenodontid called galecyon, which translates as “polecat dog.” Researchers have previously found plenty of galecyon fossils throughout Wyoming, but most have been teeth.
Researchers knew galecyon was quite common in North America during the early Eocene epoch, between 50 million and 55 million years ago, but they didn’t know much else.
“The skeleton of Galecyon shows why we keep looking for fossils even in places where we already have a lot of specimens,” lead study author Shawn Zack, a paleontologist at the University of Arizona, said in a press release. “When this skeleton was found, tens of thousands of mammalian fossils had been collected from the Bighorn Basin, but this was the first decent skeleton of this animal.”
The skeleton has offered scientists a better understanding of the animal’s full anatomy and the kinds of movements and behavior its build would have allowed.
“Galecyon may have moved around like a living wolverine or skunk, probably not much of a runner, but spending most of its time on the ground, while some of its relatives spent a lot more time in the trees,” explained study co-author Ken Rose of Johns Hopkins University.
The new fossil will also allow scientists to more effectively compare different hyaenodontae fossils — potentially teasing out relationships among different varieties of these early mammalian predators.
“This study shows that postcranial and dental morphology support different patterns of hyaenodontid relationships,” Zack added. “That is an indication that there is still a lot to learn about hyaenodontid evolution.”
“This study shows that early hyaenodontids had diverse habitat preferences, which helps explain how several different hyaenodontids were able to coexist in the same faunas, despite having similar diets and comparable body sizes.”
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