Teratodontidae Explained

Teratodontinae ("monstrous teeth") is a subfamily of extinct hyaenodonts. Fossil remains of these mammals are known from Middle Eocene to Late Miocene deposits in Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and Asia.^[1]

History and naming

The genus Teratodon was named in 1965.^[2]

The name of the subfamily translates as "monstrous teeth" (and taxonomic suffix "-inae".

Classification and phylogeny

Taxonomy

A list of included genera based on Borths & Seiffert (2017)^[3] and Borths & Stevens (2017)^[1] with the 2021 addition of Ekweeconfractus.^[4]

• Subfamily: †Teratodontinae
  • Genus: †Anasinopa
    • †Anasinopa haasi
    • †Anasinopa leakeyi
    • †Anasinopa libyca ^[5]
  • Genus: †Brychotherium
    • †Brychotherium atrox
    • †Brychotherium ephalmos
  • Genus: †Buhakia
    • †Buhakia hyaenoides
    • †Buhakia moghraensis
  • Genus: †Dissopsalis
    • †Dissopsalis carnifex
    • †Dissopsalis pyroclasticus
  • Genus: †Ekweeconfractus
    • †Ekweeconfractus amorui
  • Genus: †Furodon
    • †Furodon crocheti
  • Genus: †Glibzegdouia
    • †Glibzegdouia tabelbalaensis
  • Genus: †Masrasector
    • †Masrasector aegypticum
    • †Masrasector ligabuei
    • †Masrasector nananubis
  • Genus: †Pakakali
    • †Pakakali rukwaensis
  • Genus: †Teratodon
    • †Teratodon enigmae
    • †Teratodon spekei

Additionally, Metasinopa is sometimes included in the subfamily.^[6]

Phylogeny of Teratodontinae from Borths & Stevens (2017):^[1]

Phylogeny of Teratodontinae from the 2021 description of Ekweeconfractus:

Notes and References

1. Matthew R. Borths . Nancy J. Stevens . 2017 . The first hyaenodont from the late Oligocene Nsungwe Formation of Tanzania: Paleoecological insights into the Paleogene-Neogene carnivore transition . PLOS ONE . 12 . 10 . e0185301 . 10.1371/journal.pone.0185301 . 29020030 . 5636082 . 2017PLoSO..1285301B. free .
2. R. J. G. . Savage . 1965 . Fossil Mammals of Africa: 19 The Miocene Carnivora of East Africa . Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Geology . 10 . 8 . 241–316.
3. 10.1371/journal.pone.0173527 . free . Craniodental and humeral morphology of a new species of Masrasector (Teratodontinae, Hyaenodonta, Placentalia) from the late Eocene of Egypt and locomotor diversity in hyaenodonts . 2017 . Borths . Matthew R. . Seiffert . Erik R. . PLOS ONE . 12 . 4 . e0173527 . 28422967 . 5396875 . 2017PLoSO..1273527B .
4. Flink . T. . Cote . S. . etal . March 2021 . The neurocranium of Ekweeconfractus amorui gen. et sp. nov. (Hyaenodonta, Mammalia) and the evolution of the brain in some hyaenodontan carnivores . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . 41 . 2 . e1927748 . 10.1080/02724634.2021.1927748. 2021JVPal..41E7748F . 237518007 . free .
5. Carnivores (Creodonta and Carnivora) from the basal middle Miocene of Gebel Zelten, Libya, with a note on a large amphicyonid from the middle Miocene of Ngorora, Kenya . 2010 . Morales . J. . Brewer . P. . Bulletin of the Tethys Geological Society, Cairo . 5 . 43-54 . Pickford . M..
6. 10.1080/02724634.2020.1833895 . A Transitional Mammalian Carnivore Community from the Paleogene–Neogene Boundary in Northern Kenya . 2020 . Friscia . Anthony R. . Macharwas . Mathew . Muteti . Samuel . Ndiritu . Francis . Tab Rasmussen . D. . Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology . 40 . 5 . e1833895 . 2020JVPal..40E3895F . 228844419 .