Extinct species of Miacidae

Miacidae succumbed to natural extinction.

Miacidea are the earliest know representatives of carnivores, found rarely as fossilized bones and most often as teeth. Morphologically seperable into two lineages, the viverravines and the miacines. Both members of the lineage display the dental features characteristic of carnivores, shearing teeth and a specialized jaw joint. Members of the Miacidae were small mammals with spreading paws, a long body and tail, with short loose-jointed and flexible limbs. Miacids had relatively small brains and many primitive features in the skull. Their paws were wide and their digits were spread apart, with the first appearing to be opposed, suggesting an ability to climb. They were likely forest dwellers and rarely fossilized due to rapid body decomposition and the absence of sedimentary materials in the forest environment.

Extinct.