Hyaenodon leptorhynchus (Laizer and Parieu 1838; Scott 1895; Eocene to Miocene) was traditionall considered a credont and a placental, but here nests with the marsupials between Thylacinus and Ernanodon plus Oxyaena. It was a carnivore that hunted with its saberteeth. The large rostrum is distinctive.

H. gigas was the size of a bear (est. 1,100 lbs, 500 kgs, 3 m). H. horridus was the size of a large dog (est. 88 lbs, 40 kgs). H. microdon and H. mustelinus were much smaller, about the size of Eomaia, another basal marsupial. There were several mid-sized taxa, too. Hyaenodon leptorhynchus was the type species.

Achaenodon robustus (Cope 1873, Eocene) was tradionally considered an artiodactyl, but here nests with the marsupial creodont Hyaenodon. The skull was extremely wide with strong jaw muscles filling the space around the narrow cranium and crests.

Harpagolestes uintensis (Type H. macrocephalus Wortman 1901; Scott 1888, Szalay and Gould 1966; AMNH 1892, 1878; Eocene, 51 mya; 50 cm skull length) is widely considered to be a large, hyaena-like mesonychid, like Mesonyx, but with a deeper and wider skull. Here Harpagolestes is derived from a sister to Mesonyx and basal to Hippopotamus, all plant eaters. The teeth are often heavily to extremely worn, as is typical of herbivores. A diastema just develops around the anterior premolars. The jugal has the genesis of a postorbital bar to meet that of the frontal, which is complete in Hippopotamus. Stout limb bones indicate Harpagolestes was not able to pursure prey

Earlier mesonychids. like Yangtanglestes (= Lestes), extend to the early Paleocene, shortly after the asteroid impact.

Callistoe vincei (Babot et al. 2002; Argot and Babot 2011; Early Eocene, 35mya; PVL 4187) was originally considered a probohyaenid. Here it nests with Hyaenodon, sharing a descending jugal among other traits. Both are considered Sparassodonta (Ameghino 1894), but that appears to be a junior synonym of Creodonta (Cope 1875).

Traditional traits are focused on the teeth, such as the number of incisors and the open-rooted canines. The first molar (of four) is here reduced to three tiny roots.

The axial skeleton of Callistoe is characterized by the peculiar transverse processes of the cervical vertebrae emphasizing lateral instead of sagittal traction. There is no clavicle and eighteen thoracolumbar vertebrae, of which only five are lumbars. The pollex (= thumb) is not reduced and the ungual phalanges indicate very long claws, similar to those observed in some extant digging taxa. The pes is smaller than the manus. Pedal digits 1 and 5 are more slender. Callistoe was the largest mammalian predator of its time.

Borhyaena tuberata (Ameghino 1887; Early Miocene, 20mya; 50 cm at the shoulder; PU 015701) nests as a derived member of the Hyaenodon clade. It was similar to living hyenas. The lateral view skull image (upper left) had to be broken in order connect the glenoid to the jaw joint.

Argot C and Babot J 2011. Postcranial morphology, functional adaptations and palaeobiology of Callistoe vincei, a predaceous metatherian from the Eocene of Salta, North-Western Argentina. Palaeontology 54(2):447–480.

Babot MJ, Powell JE and Muizon C 2002. Callistoe vincei, a new Proborhyaenidae (Borhyaenoidea, Metatheria, Mammalia) from the Early Eocene of Argentina. Geobios 35:615-629.

Cope ED 1873. Fourth notice of extinct Vertebrata from the Bridger and the Green River Tertiaries. Paleontological Bulletin 17:1–4.

Laizier L and de Parieu J 1838. Description et determination d’une machoire fossile appartenant a un mammifere jusqu’a pressent inconnu, Hyaenodon leptorhynchus. Comptes-rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l’Académie des Sciences, Paris 7:442.

Scott WM 1895. The osteology of Hyaenodon. Academy Natural Sciences Philadelphia Journal 9:499-536. online here.

Szalay FS and Gould SJ 1966. Asiatic mesonychidae (Mammalia, Condylarthra). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 132(2):127–174

Wortman JL 1901. Studies of Eocene Mammalia in the Marsh Collection, Peabody Museum. The American Journal of Science, series 4 12(70):281-296.

wiki/Hyaenodon
wiki/Callistoe
wiki/Achaenodon
wiki/Harpagolestes