Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Order Odd-toed ungulate | Class Mammalia Rank Family | |
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Similar Hyopsodus, Arctocyonidae, Phenacodontidae, Odd‑toed ungulate, Condylarth | ||
Hyopsodontidae is an extinct family of unspecialized, primitive mammals from the order Condylarthra, living from the Paleocene to the Eocene in North America and Eurasia. Condylarthra is now thought to be a wastebasket taxon; hyopsodontids have occasionally been speculated to be related to Afrotheria, while the most recent consensus appears to be as part of Perissodactyla, and in particular closely related to horses.
They were generally small insectivorous animals. The most common genus is Hyopsodus.
All of them were small ungulates, their size ranging from that of a squirrel to that of a weasel. Although much more herbivorous in their diet than the arctocyonids, and lacking their powerful canines, the hyopsodontids still had a generalized dentition, with a full set of incisors, canines, premolars, and molars. During the Paleocene in Europe, they reached a high diversity level, starting with Louisina and Monshyus in Hainin, Belgium, and following in the Cernaysian beds with Tricuspiodon, Paratricuspiodon, and Paschatherium.