Herpestides
Extinct genus of carnivores
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Herpestides is an extinct genus of terrestrial carnivore that was endemic to North Africa and Southern Europe during the Early Miocene subepoch (22.4—20 mya) and existed for approximately 2.4 million years.[1]
| Herpestides Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Infraorder: | Aeluroidea |
| Genus: | †Herpestides de Beaumont, 1967 |
| Species | |
| |
Taxonomy
Herpestides is considered to belong to the Aeluroidea group of cat-like carnivores[2] and, in particular, to the Viverridae.[3]
Four species are recognised:
- H. aegypticus
- H. aequatorialis
- H. antiquus
- H. compactus