Hemipsalodon ("half-scissor tooth") is an extinct genus of hyainailourid hyaenodonts from the subfamily Hyainailourinae that lived in North America during the middle to late Eocene.[4][5]
| Hemipsalodon Temporal range: Middle to Late Eocene | |
|---|---|
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| Skull of Hemipsalodon grandis | |
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| Restoration of H. grandis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | †Hyaenodonta |
| Superfamily: | †Hyainailouroidea |
| Family: | †Hyainailouridae |
| Subfamily: | †Hyainailourinae |
| Genus: | †Hemipsalodon Cope, 1885 |
| Type species | |
| †Hemipsalodon grandis Cope, 1885 | |
| Species | |
| Synonyms | |
synonyms of species:
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Description
The skull of Hemipsalodon grandis is 45 centimetres (18 in) in length, with a lower jaw length of 34 centimetres (13 in). The most complete skull (O.M.S.I. No. 619), belonged to an old individual. It is powerfully-built, and overall superficially resembles the mesonychid Harpagolestes. The nasal opening is quite large. The canines are greatly enlarged. The anterior portion of the skull is broad anteriorly, but narrows down considerably posteriorly.[6]