hyaenodont

Hyaenodonts were an extinct order of placental mammals that were carnivorous. They lived from the early Paleocene epoch to the late Miocene epoch, a period spanning roughly 55 million years. Fossil evidence indicates they were distributed across Africa, Eurasia, and North America. These animals occupied a similar ecological niche to modern carnivorans, preying on other mammals. Their most distinctive feature was their dental specialization for slicing flesh, with large carnassial teeth that were highly developed for shearing. Unlike modern carnivorans, hyaenodonts lacked the specialized shearing carnassials of the dog and cat families. Instead, their carnassials were more variable and their jaw musculature was often very powerful.

The hyaenodont lineage diversified into a wide range of forms, from small, shrew-like creatures to large, bear-sized predators. Some of the largest known hyaenodonts, such as *Sarkastodon*, were among the biggest terrestrial mammalian carnivores to have ever lived. Their extinction is thought to be linked to the rise of modern carnivorans, which may have outcompeted them for resources. The exact evolutionary relationships of hyaenodonts to other mammalian orders are still debated, though they are generally considered to be within the broader group of placental mammals.