Carnivoramorpha

Carnivoramorpha Temporal range: early Paleocene to present
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Mirorder:	Ferae
Clade:	Pan-Carnivora
Clade:	Carnivoramorpha Wyss & Flynn, 1993
Subgroups
[see classification]

Life reconstruction of Tapocyon robustus

Carnivoramorpha ("shape of carnivorans") is a clade of placental mammals that includes the modern order Carnivora and its extinct stem-relatives.

Classification and phylogeny

Traditional classification

• Clade: Carnivoramorpha [Carnivora + all basal clades to Carnivora, but without Creodonts]
  • Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)
    • Suborder: Caniformia ("dog-like" carnivorans)
    • Suborder: Feliformia ("cat-like" carnivorans)
    • Incertae sedis:
      • Genus: †Palaeogale
  • Superfamily: †Miacoidea
    • Family: †Miacidae
    • Family: †Viverravidae
    • Incertae sedis:
      • †"Sinopa" insectivorus
  • Incertae sedis:
    • Genus: †Ictidopappus
    • Genus: †Ravenictis
    • †Carnivoramorpha sp. (UALVP 31176)

Revised classification

As recent phylogenetic studies indicate that the superfamily Miacoidea and family Miacidae are paraphyletic, with "miacids" being more closely related to carnivorans than to viverravids. In 2010 Flynn, Finarelli & Spaulding named a new clade Carnivoraformes within Carnivoramorpha, containing carnivorans and "miacids" but not viverravids. The authors defined Carnivoraformes as the clade containing Carnivora and all taxa that are more closely related to Carnivora (represented by Canis lupus) than to viverravids (represented by Viverravus gracilis).

• Clade: Carnivoramorpha
  • Clade: Carnivoraformes (Carnivora and stem-relatives)
  • Superfamily: †Viverravoidea
    • Family: †Viverravidae
  • Incertae sedis:
    • Genus: †Ravenictis
    • †Carnivoramorpha sp. (UALVP 31176)
    • †Carnivoramorpha sp. (UALVP 50993 & UALVP 50994)
    • †Carnivoramorpha sp. (USNM 538395)
    • †"Sinopa" insectivorus

Phylogenetic tree

The phylogenetic relationships of Carnivoramorpha are shown in the following cladogram:

Ferae

Pholidotamorpha  Pan‑Carnivora  †Oxyaenodonta  †Hyaenodonta  †Hyaenodonta (sensu stricto) †Altacreodus †Tinerhodon †Altacreodus/Tinerhodon clade  sensu lato   Carnivoramorpha   †Viverravidae   †Viverravoidea  †Viverravidae (sensu stricto)  ?  †carnivoramorph sp. (UALVP 50993 & UALVP 50994)  ?  †Ravenictis  sensu lato   ?  †carnivoramorph sp. (UALVP 31176)  ?  †carnivoramorph sp. (WW-84: USNM 538395)  Carnivoraformes  †Neovulpavus  ?  †carnivoraform undet. Genus A (UCMP 110072) †Lycarion †Lycarion/Neovulpavus clade  ?  †carnivoraform undet. Genus B (SDSNH 56335)  ?  †Ceruttia †Dormaalocyon †"Miacis" exiguus †Vassacyon †Vulpavus †"Miacis" deutschi †Vulpavus clade †Miocyon †Simamphicyon †Zodiocyon †Uintacyon  ?  †"Miacis" boqinghensis  ?  †"Miacis" lushiensis  ?  †"Miacis" thailandicus  ?  †"Miacis" invictus †Uintacyon clade †Miacis †carnivoraform sp. (PM 3868) †Dawsonicyon  ?  †Africtis †"Miacis" petilus †"Miacis" latidens  ?  †"Miacis" hookwayi †Paroodectes †Paramiacis †Eogale †Gracilocyon †Oodectes †Gracilocyon/Oodectes clade †Prodaphaenus  ?  †Walshius  Carnivora   Feliformia  Aeluroidea †Nimravidae  ?  †Eosictis  ?  †Chailicyon  †Palaeogalidae  †Palaeogale †Cryptailurus  †Quercygalidae  †Messelogale †Quercygale †Tapocyon  Caniformia  †Harpalodon †Procynodictis †Amphicyonoidea †Lycophocyon Canoidea  sensu stricto   (Carnivora [sensu lato])

References

• Archibold, J.D., and K.D. Rose (eds.). (2005). “The Rise of Placental Mammals: Origins and Relationships of the Major Clades.” Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-8022-X
• Archibold, J.D., and K.D. Rose. (2005). “Womb with a View: the Rise of Placentals.” [1]
• Benton, Michael J. and Philip C.J. Donoghue. (2007). “Paleontological Evidence to Date the Tree of Life.” Dating the Tree of Life 31. [2]
• Bryant, H.N., and M. Wolson (2004) “Phylogenetic Nomenclature of Carnivoran Mammals.” First International Phylogenetic Nomenclature Meeting. Paris, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, July 6–9, 2004. [3]
• Flynn, John J. and Gina D. Wesley-Hunt. 2005. "Phylogeny of the Carnivora: Basal Relationships Among the Carnivoramorphans, and Assessment of the Position of 'Miacoidea' Relative to Carnivora." Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, 3: 1-28. Abstract: [4]
• Haaramo, Mikko. (2005). “Mikko's Phylogeny Archive Carnivoramorpha - Carnivores and relatives.” Retrieved February 17, 2007, from: [5]
• Stiles, David P. (2005). “An investigation of the Vulpes and Urocyon phylogenetic classification: Feliformia or Caniformia?” Fox Phylogeny. Vertebrate Evolution – Fall 2005, The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA. [6]
• Wesley-Hunt, Gina D. (2006). “The Morphological Diversification of Carnivores in North America.” Paleobiology. Vol. 31, Issue 1, pp. 35–55. [7]
• Wyss, A. R. & Flynn, J. J. (1993). “A Phylogenetic Analysis and Definition of the Carnivora.” in Mammal Phylogeny – Placentals, Szalay, F.S., M.J. Novacek and M.C. McKenna (eds.). ISBN 0-387-97853-4.
• John J. Flynn; John A. Finarelli; Michelle Spaulding (2010). "Phylogeny of the Carnivora and Carnivoramorpha, and the use of the fossil record to enhance understanding of evolutionary transformations". In Anjali Goswami; Anthony Friscia (eds.). Carnivoran evolution. New views on phylogeny, form and function. Cambridge University Press. pp. 25–63. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139193436.003. ISBN 9781139193436.