Mustelodon
| Mustelodon Temporal range: Late Paleocene | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Superfamily: | Miacoidea |
| Family: | Miacidae |
| Genus: | Mustelodon |
Mustelodon is an extinct carnivore, which belongs to the family Viverravidae. This genus contains only one species, Mustelodon primerus. Fossils of this mammal were found in the 57 million years old deposits of Lago Nandarajo, near the northern border of Panama in Central America.
Mustelodon had a length of approximately 80 cm (head to tail) and this carnivore superficially resembled the modern mongooses. Mustelodon fed on fruits, insects and smaller mammals like shrews. It is closely related to the more famous Protictis from the Paleocene of the United States (Wannagan Creek - South Dakota, San Juan Basin - New Mexico).
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