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Hapalorestes

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Plantdrew (talk | contribs) at 15:51, 19 October 2023 (removed Category:Mesonychids; added Category:Mesonychia using HotCat). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Hapalorestes
Temporal range: Early Eocene–Middle Eocene
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Mesonychia
Family: Hapalodectidae
Genus: Hapalorestes
Species
  • H. lovei

Hapalorestes is a genus of hapalodectid that lived during the early to middle Eocene. An average living individual's weight is estimated at 1 to 8 kilograms.

A characteristic trait of Hapalorestes is that the lower third molar is the longest in the row. There are broad, deep ‘embrasure pits’ present on the palate which would receive the crowns of the lower teeth when the jaws were closed. Similar pits are seen on the palates of Stem-whales, which has led some to believe they may share a close relation to modern whales.

Species