Rare Hyaenodon Canine Tooth

Hyaenodon requieni

Class Mammalia, Order Creodonta, Family Hyaenodontidae

Geological Time: Late Eocene (~36 million years ago)

Size (25.4 mm = 1 inch): Tooth: 20 mm wide by 70 mm long diagonal measurement, 83 mm outer curve measurement (including root)

Fossil Site: Euzet-les-Banes, Gard, France

Fossil Code: FMT04

Price: Sold


Hyaenodon Canine ToothThe Creodonts were the dominant carnivorous mammals of the early Tetriary, comprised of the Oxyaenidae and the Hyaenidontidae. The Hyaenodontids ranged throughout the Northern Hemisphere, even reaching Africa. The largest was known as Megistrotherium, and had a skull twice as long as a modern tiger, making it the largest known land mammal carnivore. The extinction of the Hyyaenodontids still remains a mystery today. This rare specimen is a canine tooth from the lower jaw. This specimen comes from an historically significant site in that is was studied by Georges Cuvier, the 19th century scientist who was instrumental in founding comparative anatomy and paleontology. He was an advocate of catastrophism in the evolution of life rather than a slow gradual change. His thoughts later became what is now known as punctuated equilibrium as advocated by Niles Eldridge and Steven Jay Gould. The site has been closed for some 12 years now, so only older specimens such as this one are available. Note the accession label on the display side. While there are repairs, it is a very rare example that would be hard to replace.

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