70 



CARNIVOEA 



ORDER III 



Family 4. Mustelidae. 



' ' ' ' • Upper carnassial P^ with long blade behind anterior cusp, and 



with strong inner cusp. Lower carnassial M-^^ with well-developed, grooved or 

 trenchant talonid, usually with small metaconid. M} transversely broadened, 

 frequently large and quadrangular, usually with well-defined cingulum. M^ if 

 present, very small; M^, greatly reduced, but often two-rooted. Auditory bulla 

 lacking septum, convex, usually small, distinct from paroccipital process. Alisphenoid 

 canal wanting. Body elongated, feet mostly pentadactyl, plantigrade or digitigrade. 



The Mustelidae are small to moderately sized, slender, active carnivores 

 existing principally in the northern hemisphere, but, with the exception of 

 Australia, world-wide in distribution. Fossil forms are similarly distributed. 

 The basicranium exhibits great similarity to that of the Ursidae. In the 

 earliest fossil forms, the auditory bulla is strongly convex, while the dental 



2 

 formula is -— M, and they are not markedly differentiated from the earliest 



Viverridae, from which they are probably descended. 



Subfamily 1. Putoriinae. 



f M, later becoming \ M. Marked reduction of P ^, M'^, metaconid of M^, as 

 well as the small talonid of My 



Palaeoprionodon Filhol. ^ M. Upper Tlf tritubercular, if j^ with metaconid, 

 and small indented talonid ; if, small and two-rooted. Querey Phosphorites 

 (Oligocene). 



Stenoplesictis Filhol (Fig. 97). Q.uercy Phosphorites (Oligocene). 



Bunaelurus Cope (Fig. 98). B. lago- 

 phagus Cope. Cranium well known. White 

 River beds ; Colorado. 



Fig. 



Fig. 98. 



StenopUHctis cayluai Filhol. Phosphorites of Querey. Bunaelurus lagopliagus Cope. Oligocene White 



A, Lower aspect of the left upper jaw. B, Inner aspect of River beds, Colorado. Lower aspect of skull, 

 the left mandible, i/i- Vi- (After Matthew.) 



Parictis Scott. John Day beds (basal Miocene). 



Proailurus Filhol (Haplogale Schlosser). ^ 31. M with very short talonid 

 and small metaconid. il/o single-rooted. Phosphorites (Oligocene) to Upper 

 Miocene. 



Proputorius Filhol. Upper Miocene ; Sansan. 



