Carnivoramorpha ("carnivoran-like forms") is a clade of placental mammals within the larger clade Pan-Carnivora from the mirorder Ferae, that includes the modern order Carnivora as well as extinct stem-group relatives that are more closely related to carnivorans proper than to "creodonts".Bryant, H.N., and M. Wolson (2004) "Phylogenetic Nomenclature of Carnivoran Mammals." First International Phylogenetic Nomenclature Meeting. Paris, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle However, recent analyses suggest carnivoramorphans was polyphyletic with Viverravidae being basal to the clade containing hyaenodonts, oxyaenids and carnivoraforms.
General characteristics The common feature for members of this clade is the presence of the carnassial teeth. The carnassial teeth of the Carnivoramorpha are upper premolar P4 and lower molar m1.Floréal Solé & Thierry Smith (2013.) "Dispersals of placental carnivorous mammals (Carnivoramorpha, Oxyaenodonta & Hyaenodontida) near the Paleocene-Eocene boundary: a climatic and almost worldwide story" Geologica Belgica 16/4: 254-261
Classification and phylogeny Traditional classification Clade: Carnivoramorpha [carnivorans + all basal clades to Carnivora, but without creodonts] Order: Carnivora (carnivorans) Suborder: Caniformia ("dog-like" carnivorans) Suborder: Feliformia ("cat-like" carnivorans) Incertae sedis: Genus: †Palaeogale Superfamily: †Miacoidea Family: †Miacidae Family: †Viverravidae Incertae sedis: †"Sinopa" insectivorus Incertae sedis: Genus: †Ravenictis †Carnivoramorpha sp. [UALVP 31176]
Revised classification Recent phylogenetic studies indicate that the superfamily Miacoidea and family Miacidae are paraphyletic, with "miacids" being more closely related to carnivorans than to viverravids. In 2010 Flynn, Finarelli & Spaulding named a new clade Carnivoraformes within Carnivoramorpha, containing carnivorans and "miacids" but not viverravids. The authors defined Carnivoraformes as the clade containing Carnivora and all taxa that are more closely related to Carnivora (represented by Canis lupus) than to viverravids (represented by Viverravus gracilis). More recent analysis have questioned the relation of viverravids to carnivoraforms, suggesting carnivoramorphans wasn't a monophyletic group. Clade: Carnivoramorpha [= Carnivora (sensu lato)] Clade: Carnivoraformes [= Clade "A"] Genus: †Africtis Genus: †Dawsonicyon Genus: †Miacis (unranked): Clade "B" Family: †Quercygalidae (unranked): †Gracilocyon/Oodectes clade Genus: †Eogale Genus: †Gracilocyon (paraphyletic genus) Genus: †Oodectes (paraphyletic genus) Genus: †Paramiacis Genus: †Paroodectes Incertae sedis: †"Miacis" sp. [CM 67873 & CM 77299] Genus: †Messelogale Genus: †Miocyon Genus: †Simamphicyon Genus: †Uintacyon (paraphyletic genus) Genus: †Xinyuictis Genus: †Zodiocyon (unranked): Clade "C" Genus: †Dormaalocyon (unranked): †Vulpavus clade Genus: †Palaearctonyx Genus: †Vassacyon Genus: †Vulpavus (paraphyletic genus) Incertae sedis: †"Miacis" deutschi †"Miacis" exiguus (unranked): Clade "D" Order: Carnivora [sensu stricto] (carnivorans) [= Clade "E"] Genus: †Ceruttia Genus: †Harpalodon Genus: †Lycarion Genus: †Neovulpavus Genus: †Procynodictis Genus: †Prodaphaenus Genus: †Tapocyon Genus: †Walshius Incertae sedis: †"Miacis" gracilis †"Miacis" hargeri †"Miacis" invictus †"Miacis" lushiensis †Carnivoraformes sp. [SDSNH 49600] Incertae sedis: †"Miacis" boqinghensis †"Miacis" hookwayi †"Miacis" latidens †"Miacis" petilus †Carnivoraformes undet. Genus A †Carnivoraformes undet. Genus B ichnotaxa of Carnivoraformes: Ichnogenus: †Falcatipes (unranked): †Viverravidae [sensu lato] Superfamily: †Viverravoidea Family: †Viverravidae [sensu stricto] Genus: †Ravenictis Incertae sedis: †Carnivoramorpha sp. [UALVP 50993 & UALVP 50994] Incertae sedis: †"Sinopa" insectivorus †Carnivoramorpha sp. [UALVP 31176] †Carnivoramorpha sp. [USNM 538395]
See also Mammal classification Ferae Miacoidea
References
Further reading
C. M. Janis, J. A. Baskin, A. Berta, J. J. Flynn, G. F. Gunnell, R. M. Hunt jr., L. D. Martin, and K. Munthe (1998.) "Carnivorous mammals." In C. M. Janis, K. M. Scott, and L. L. Jacobs (eds.) "Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America. Volume 1: Terrestrial Carnivores, Ungulates, and Ungulatelike Mammals." Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. K. D. Rose and J. D. Archibold (2005) "The Rise of Placental Mammals: Origins and Relationships of the Major Extant Clades", Baltimore and London, Johns Hopkins University Press K. D. Rose and J. D. Archibold (2005) "Womb with a View: the Rise of Placentals." In: K. D. Rose and J. D. Archibold "The Rise of Placental Mammals: Origins and Relationships of the Major Extant Clades", Baltimore and London, Johns Hopkins University Press
Stiles, David P. (2005) "An investigation of the Vulpes and Urocyon phylogenetic classification: Feliformia or Caniformia?" Fox Phylogeny. Vertebrate Evolution – Fall 2005, The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA.
Wesley-Hunt, Gina D. (2005) "The Morphological Diversification of Carnivores in North America." Paleobiology. Vol. 31, Issue 1, pp. 35–55. Benton, Michael J. and Philip C. J. Donoghue (2007) "Paleontological Evidence to Date the Tree of Life.", Molecular Biology and Evolution, Volume 24, Issue 1, Pages 26–53
Susumu Tomiya, Shawn P. Zack, Michelle Spaulding and John J. Flynn (2019.) "Carnivorous mammals from the Middle Eocene Washakie formation, Wyoming, U.S.A., and their diversity trajectory in a post-warming world", in "The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 79th annual meeting"