Didymictis

Didymictis is an extinct genus of carnivorous mammals known from the late Paleocene and early Eocene (Tiffanian-GardnerbutteanNALMA) of North America. This genus in the family Viverravidae contains five species.

Didymictis is the only viverravid for which there are considerable postcranial remains. The genus was primarily terrestrial but at least partly cursorial, similar to a civet.

Description

Didymictis has an elongated and relatively large skull with small and low braincase and a long and narrow basicranial region. The occipital and saggital crests are very high. The limbs are of moderate length with subdigitigrade and five-toed feet. The dentition (3.1.4.23.1.4.2) contrast those of miacids by the sharp differentiation between sectorial and tubercular dentition, the loss of the last molar and an elongated second molar, similar to the dentition in bears and raccoons.

Comparing Didymictis to Vulpavus, a much smaller and more agile viverravid, Heinrich & Rose 1997 noted that Didymictis' limbs, especially the hindlimb, are similar to those in extant carnivornas adapted for speed, and the forelimbs to some extent are specialized to digging. The authors concluded that Didymictis was a relatively specialized terrestrial carnivore capable of hunting with speed or pursuing by digging.