Sarkastodon

Oxyaenid genus from upper Eocene Epoch

Sarkastodon Temporal range: 45.0–39.9 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Middle Eocene

Reconstruction of Sarkastodon mongoliensis

Skull reconstructions of Sarkastodon mongolensis
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	†Oxyaenodonta
Family:	†Oxyaenidae
Subfamily:	†Oxyaeninae
Genus:	†Sarkastodon Granger, 1938^[1]
Type species
†Sarkastodon mongoliensis Granger, 1938^[1]
Species
†Sarkastodon henanensis (Tong & Lei, 1986)^[2] †Sarkastodon mongoliensis (Granger, 1938)

Sarkastodon ("meaty tooth") is an extinct genus of placental mammals from extinct subfamily Oxyaeninae within extinct family Oxyaenidae, that lived in Asia (in today's China and Mongolia) during the middle Eocene.^[1] It was a genus of large, carnivorous animals known only from a skull and jawbones. Sarkastodon was probably a hypercarnivore that preyed on large mammals in its range during the Middle Eocene, such as brontotheres, chalicotheres, and rhinoceroses. Its weight is estimated at 800 kg (1,800 lb),^[3] and its length at 3 m (10 ft).^[4]

Discovery

The type specimens of S. mongoliensis are known from Eocene deposits from the Irdin Manha Formation of Mongolia. Additional material referred to Sarkastodon is known from the Ulan Shireb beds (160 kilometres or 100 miles from the holotype locality) of Inner Mongolia. These specimens were discovered by Walter W. Granger in 1930, on an expedition to the Gobi Desert.^[1]

Palaeobiology

Sarkastodon was a hypercarnivore, with hyaena-like dentition specialised in bone-cracking.^[5]^[6] The sharp, slicing premolars (which form roughly rectilinear cutting blades)^[7] and crushing molars enabled Sarkastodon to eat both bone and flesh.^[8] It was probably an ambush predator, not a fast runner.^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Granger, W. (1938.) "A giant oxyaenid from the upper Eocene of Mongolia." American Museum Novitates 969.
^ Y. Tong and Y. Lei (1986.) "Fossil Creodonts and Carnivores (Mammalia) from the Hetaoyuan Eocene of Henan." Vertebrata PalAsiatica 24(3):210-221
^ Sorkin, B. (2008). "A biomechanical constraint on body mass in terrestrial mammalian predators". Lethaia. 41 (4): 333–347. Bibcode:2008Letha..41..333S. doi:10.1111/j.1502-3931.2007.00091.x.
^ ^a ^b Prothero, Donald R. (2016). The Princeton Field Guide to Prehistoric Mammals. Princeton University Press. p. 125. ISBN 9781400884452.
^ Rose KD. (2006.) The Beginning of the Age of Mammals. JHU Press: page 122
^ Werdelin, L. (1989). "Constraints and adaptations in the bone-cracking canid Osteoborus (Mammalia: Canidae)". Paleobiology. 15 (4): 387–401. Bibcode:1989Pbio...15..387W. doi:10.1017/S009483730000957X. S2CID 82128868.
^ Muizon, C. de; Lange-Badré, B. (2007). "Carnivorous dental adaptations in tribosphenic mammals and phylogenetic reconstruction". Lethaia. 30 (4): 353–366. doi:10.1111/j.1502-3931.1997.tb00481.x.
^ Gunnell, GF. (1998.) "Creodonta", p. 91-109. In: Janis CM., Scott K.M., and Jacobs LL. (eds.). Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America, Volume 1: Terrestrial Carnivores, Ungulates, and Ungulatelike Mammals. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

External links

Artistic reconstruction of Sarkastodon, shown waiting for Andrewsarchus to finish eating from a dead brontothere.

Mammals of clade Pan-Carnivora

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Placentalia
Superorder: Laurasiatheria
Clade: Scrotifera
Grandorder: Ferungulata
Mirorder: Ferae

Pan-Carnivora

Carnivoramorpha	See Carnivoramorpha below ↓
†Hyaenodonta	See Hyaenodonta below ↓
†Oxyaenodonta	See Oxyaenodonta below ↓
†Wyolestidae	†Wyolestes
†Simidectes †Altacreodus †Tinerhodon

†Hyaenodonta

†Hyaenodontoidea

†Hyaenodontidae	†Alienetherium †Boritia †Cartierodon †Consobrinus †Cynohyaenodon †Eurotherium †Hyaenodon †Leonhardtina †Matthodon †Neosinopa †Oxyaenoides †Paenoxyaenoides †Paracynohyaenodon †Praecodens †Preregidens †Prodissopsalis †Propterodon †Protoproviverra †Quercytherium

†Proviverridae

†Allopterodon
†Lesmesodon
†Minimovellentodon
†Morlodon
†Parvagula
†Proviverra

†Afro‑Arabian
clade

†Parvavorodon
†Tritemnodon
†Koholia

†Indohyaenodontidae

†Glibzegdouia
†Indohyaenodon
†Yarshea

†Hyainailouroidea

†Hyainailouridae

†Maocyon/Orienspterodon clade

†Maocyon
†Orienspterodon

†Apterodontinae

†Apterodon
†Quasiapterodon

†Hyainailourinae

†Leakitherium †Megistotherium †Mlanyama †Metapterodon †Pakakali †Paroxyaena †Simbakubwa
†Akhnatenavus clade	†Akhnatenavus †Hemipsalodon †Ischnognathus
†Hyainailourini	†Exiguodon †Falcatodon †Hyainailouros †Parapterodon †Sectisodon †Sivapterodon †Isohyaenodon †Kerberos †Pterodon

†Prionogalidae

†Namasector
†Prionogale
†Thereutherium

†Teratodontinae

†Anasinopa
†Brychotherium
†Buhakia
†Dissopsalis
†Ekweeconfractus
†Furodon
†Kyawdawia
†Masrasector
†Metasinopa
†Paratritemnodon
†Teratodon

other representatives

†Eoproviverra †Gazinocyon †Pyrocyon
†Arfia clade	†Arfia
†Galecyon clade	†Galecyon
†Lahimia clade	†Boualitomus †Lahimia
†Limnocyonidae	†Iridodon †Limnocyon †Oxyaenodon †Prolaena †Prolimnocyon †Thinocyon
†Sinopidae	†Acarictis †Prototomus †Sinopa

ichnotaxa
of Hyaenodonta

†Creodontipus
†Dischidodacylus
†Sarcotherichnus
†Zanclonychopus
†Hyaenodontipus
†Quiritipes
†Sarjeantipes

†Oxyaenodonta

†Oxyaenidae

†Machaeroidinae	†Apataelurus †Diegoaelurus †Isphanatherium †Machaeroides
†Oxyaeninae	†Argillotherium †Dipsalidictis †Malfelis †Oxyaena †Patriofelis †Protopsalis †Sarkastodon
†Palaeonictinae	†Ambloctonus †Dipsalodon †Palaeonictis
†Tytthaeninae	†Tytthaena

Carnivoramorpha

Carnivoraformes
(Clade "A")

Clade "B"

†Messelogale †Miocyon †Simamphicyon †Uintacyon †Xinyuictis †Zodiocyon
†Quercygalidae	†Quercygale
†Gracilocyon/Oodectes clade	†Eogale †Gracilocyon †Oodectes †Paramiacis †Paroodectes

Clade "C"

Clade "D"

†Ceruttia
†Harpalodon
†Lycarion
†Neovulpavus
†Procynodictis
†Prodaphaenus
†Tapocyon
†Walshius

Carnivora
(Clade "E")

Caniformia	(See Caniformia)
Feliformia	(See Feliformia)

other representatives

†Africtis
†Dawsonicyon
†Miacis

ichnotaxa of
Carnivoraformes

†Falcatipes

†Viverravoidea

†Viverravidae

†Orientictis †Pappictidops †Preonictis †Variviverra
†Didymictinae	†Bryanictis †Didymictis †Intyrictis †Pristinictis †Protictis †Raphictis
†Ictidopappinae	†Ictidopappus
†Viverravinae	†Simpsonictis †Viverravus †Viverriscus