Creodonta

Creodonts are an extinct group of carnivorous mammals that were long thought to be the ancestors of modern Carnivora. This is no longer thought to be the case. Creodonts were the dominant group of carnivorous mammals in the early Tertiary and were quite diverse. They ranged from very large, wolf-like animals as Hyaenodon (left) to small mongoose-like forms such as Prototomus vulpeculus.

Creodonts lived in North America, Asia, Europe, and Africa. They were once thought to be the ancestral group of placental mammals when the group was originally described by Edward Drinker Cope in 1877.

Find out more about Creodonta specimens in the UCMP collections by searching our Vertebrate Type Catalog.

UCMP Special Exhibit: Sabertooths! Visit an exhibit on some of the most famous extinct carnivores of all. Read about marsupials and creodonts who also grew "long in the tooth."