Vulpavus

Vulpavus ("ancestor of foxes") is an extinct paraphyletic genus of placental mammals from clade Carnivoraformes, that lived in North America from the early to middle Eocene.

Vulpavus Temporal range: early to middle Eocene
Skeleton of Vulpavus ovatus at the American Museum of Natural History
Life restoration of V. ovatus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Clade:	Pan-Carnivora
Clade:	Carnivoramorpha
Clade:	Carnivoraformes
Genus:	†Vulpavus Marsh, 1871
Type species
†Vulpavus palustris Marsh, 1871
Species
†V. australis (Matthew & Granger, 1915) †V. canavus (Cope, 1881) †V. completus (Matthew, 1909) †V. farsonensis (Gunnell, 1998) †V. palustris (Marsh, 1871) †V. profectus (Matthew, 1909) Subgenus: †Phlaodectes (Matthew, 1909) †V. ovatus (Matthew, 1909)
Synonyms
synonyms of species: V. australis: Vulpavus asius (Gazin, 1952) V. canavus: Miacis brevirostris (Cope, 1881) Miacis canavus (Cope, 1881) Prodaphaenus canavus (Wortman, 1901) Uintacyon brevirostris (Matthew, 1899) Uintacyon canavus (Matthew, 1899) V. ovatus: Phlaodectes ovatus (Matthew, 1909)

Phylogeny

The phylogenetic relationships of genus Vulpavus are shown in the following cladogram:

Carnivoramorpha	†Viverravidae  †Viverravoidea  ?  †Carnivoramorpha sp. (UALVP 50993 & UALVP 50994)  ?  †Ravenictis  sensu lato   ?  †Carnivoramorpha sp. (UALVP 31176)  ?  †Carnivoramorpha sp. (USNM 538395)  ?  †"Sinopa" insectivorus  Carnivoraformes   Clade "B"  †Eogale †"Miacis" sp. (CM 67873 & CM 77299) †Gracilocyon igniculus †Gracilocyon winkleri †Gracilocyon solei †Gracilocyon †Gracilocyon sp. (Jibou, Romania) †Gracilocyon rosei †Gracilocyon rundlei †Paramiacis †Paroodectes  †Oodectes jepseni   †Oodectes   †Oodectes herpestoides   †Oodectes proximus   †Oodectes pugnax   †Uintacyon hookeri   †Uintacyon rudis   †Uintacyon   †Uintacyon massetericus   †Uintacyon vorax   †Uintacyon asodes   †Uintacyon edax   †Uintacyon acutus   †Uintacyon jugulans   †Uintacyon gingerichi  †Xinyuictis †Zodiocyon †Miocyon †Simamphicyon  †Uintacyon sp. (USGS 1983)  †Messelogale †Quercygalidae  Clade "C"  †Palaearctonyx  (†Phlaodectes)  †Vulpavus ovatus †Vulpavus profectus †Vulpavus australis †Vulpavus canavus †Vulpavus completus †Vulpavus †Vulpavus farsonensis †Vulpavus palustris †Vassacyon †Dormaalocyon †"Miacis" exiguus †"Miacis" deutschi †Africtis  ?  †Carnivoraformes undet. Genus B †Dawsonicyon †"Miacis" boqinghensis †"Miacis" hookwayi †"Miacis" latidens †"Miacis" petilus  ?  †Carnivoraformes undet. Genus A †Miacis  Clade "D"  †Lycarion †"Miacis" hargeri  ?  †Ceruttia †"Miacis" invictus †"Miacis" lushiensis †Neovulpavus †Harpalodon †Procynodictis †Prodaphaenus  ?  †Walshius †"Miacis" gracilis †Tapocyon Carnivora (sensu stricto)	†Gracilocyon/Oodectes clade †Vulpavus clade
(Carnivora [sensu lato])

See also

• Mammal classification
• Carnivoraformes
• Miacidae