Produced by the Population Genetics and Evolution class, Furman University

The Paleogene: Mesonychids
Mesonychids were a group of predatory ungulates (Hall 2005), and their fossils have been found in Western America and Canada, as well as in Northern Mongolia and China (Ponzetti 2006). Their most characteristic feature was that they had primitive hooves. These early hooves were a mix between very long toenails and hooves, and each toe of this four-legged creature had one hoof (Hall 2005). Mesonychids exemplified a wide variety of appearances, ranging from those similar to wolves, hyenas, bears, and dogs (Jehle 2010). However, even though they are similar in appearance to land animals, some consider Mesonychids to be ancestors of whales. They had an elongated skull and triangular teeth, which are similar to whales. These creatures also had an inner ear, which is a characteristic feature of whales (Nelson 2010). Although many ungulates are herbivores, Mesonychids were predatory carnivores. They may have also been scavengers, similar to hyenas. They had powerful jaws, and their teeth, as previously mentioned, were similar to whales’ teeth. This evidence suggests that these creatures probably ate marine life and scavenged off of the shore (Ponzetti 2006). However, they probably used their primitive hooves to hold the meat in place, while they tore it off using their teeth (Jehle 2010).


Page by Lindsey Gerzel
Mesonychids.Picture From: The Cryptid Zoo

Hall J. 2005. The Cryptid Zoo: Mesonychids in Cryptozoology. Accessed April 12, 2010.

Jehle M. 2010. Carnivores, creodonts, and carnivorous ungulates: mammals become predators. Paleocene Mammals of the World. Accessed April 12, 2010.

Nelson LA. 2010. The evolution of whales. Cetacean Evolution. Accessed April 12, 2010.

Ponzetti TM. 2006. What are Mesonychids? Blue Lion. Accessed April 12, 2010.