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. |