Viverravidae

Viverravidae is an extinct family of placental mammals that lived during the Paleocene and Eocene epochs in North America. These animals are considered among the earliest carnivorans, though their exact phylogenetic position within the order Carnivora is debated. Viverravids were typically small to medium-sized predators, resembling modern civets or mongooses in general build. They possessed long snouts, relatively short limbs, and likely a long tail for balance. Their dentition suggests a diet of small vertebrates, insects, and possibly some plant matter. Fossil evidence indicates they were terrestrial and likely agile climbers. The family is divided into several genera, including Viverra, Viverroides, and Proictis. The decline and eventual extinction of viverravids coincided with the diversification of other carnivoran groups, such as the amphicyonids and feliforms, which may have outcompeted them. Their fossils are primarily found in North American fossil beds, providing valuable insights into early mammalian evolution and the composition of Paleogene ecosystems.