Falcatodon

Falcatodon Temporal range: Early Oligocene
illustration of Falcatodon schlosseri
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	†Hyaenodonta
Superfamily:	†Hyainailouroidea
Family:	†Hyainailouridae
Subfamily:	†Hyainailourinae
Tribe:	†Hyainailourini
Genus:	†Falcatodon Morales & Pickford, 2017
Type species
†Falcatodon schlosseri Holroyd, 1999
Synonyms
synonyms of species: F. schlosseri: Metapterodon schlosseri (Holroyd, 1999)

Falcatodon ("curved tooth") is an extinct genus of hyainailourid hyaenodonts of the polyphyletic tribe Hyainailourini within paraphyletic subfamily Hyainailourinae, from the Early Oligocene (Rupelian) of the Faiyum Oasis depression in Egypt.

Description

Morales and Pickford (2017, p. 344) diagnose Falcatodon as follows: "Medium sized Hyainailourinae, differing from Metapterodon by the reduction of the protocone in the upper molars (M1 – M2), which is located in a very anterior position. It differs from Hyainailouros by the more sectorial morphology of the upper molars, with more advanced fusion of the paracone-metacone with, nevertheless, a groove separating the cusps visible in the M1. Lower molars sectorial with reduced talonid and without a metaconid. It differs from Isohyaenodon, Sectisodon and Exiguodon, by the lesser reduction of the protocone in the upper molars which, above all, retain a stretched out subtriangular occlusal outline."

Classification and phylogeny

Taxonomy

Falcatodon was originally described as a new species of Metapterodon, M. schlosseri by Holroyd (1999), who nonetheless recognized that Eocene and Oligocene hyainailourids he assigned to Metapterodon might prove generically distinct. Subsequent study demonstrated that Falcatodon is not only distinct from Metapterodon but also closely related to Isohyaenodon.

Phylogeny

The phylogenetic relationships of genus Falcatodon are shown in the following cladogram:

†Hyaenodonta	†Eoproviverra †Boualitomidae †Arfiidae †Limnocyonidae †Sinopidae †Hyaenodontoidea †Gazinocyon †Pyrocyon †Galecyon  †Afro‑Arabian clade  †Indohyaenodontidae †Glibzegdouia †Parvavorodon †Koholiidae †Tritemnodon †Furodon †Kyawdawia †Paratritemnodon †Teratodontidae †Hyainailouroidea †Apterodontinae †Orienspterodon †Hyainailourinae †Hemipsalodon  ?  †Ischnognathus †Akhnatenavus clade †Akhnatenavus †Paroxyaenini †"Pterodon" sp. (BC 15’08) †Hyainailourinae sp. (UON 84-359) †Hyainailourinae sp. C (DPC 9243 & DPC 10315) †Hyainailourinae sp. D (DPC 6545) †Hyainailourinae sp. A (DPC 6555) †"Pterodon" africanus †Parapterodon †"Pterodon" sp. (DPC 5036) †"Pterodon" phiomensis †Hyainailourini †Kerberos †"Pterodon" syrtos †Pterodon clade †Pterodontina  †Falcatodon  †Falcatodon schlosseri †Sectisodon †Exiguodon †Isohyaenodon zadoki †Isohyaenodon  (†Isohyaenodontina) †Isohyaenodon andrewsi †Sivapterodon †Hyainailouros bugtiensis †Hyainailouros napakensis †Hyainailouros †Hyainailouros sulzeri †Hyainailourinae sp. (GSN AD 100’96) †Simbakubwa †Leakitheriini †Megistotherium †Mlanyama †Metapterodontini †Pakakali †Prionogalidae	†Lahimia clade †Arfia clade †Galecyon clade †Indohyaenodon clade †Tritemnodon clade †Kyawdawia clade †Hyainailouridae