Hyainailouros sulzeri

The Hyaenodonts were a deadly and successful group of mammalian predators; superficially resembling Canids or other Carnivorans, however they were not closely related to Carnivorans, and their appearance was a matter of convergent evolution. Unlike Carnivorans, Hyaenodonts had less range of motion in their wrists/ankles, with an arrangement more similar to ungulates. Many Hyaenodonts were also strictly carnivores; with teeth that are well adapted for shearing meat, but not so much to crush harder food objects. Later, larger Hyaenodonts; known as Hyainailourines (whether they represent a seperate family known as the Hyainailourids or are simply a subfamily of hyaenodontids is still under debate) however had strong jaws that could have allowed for a tougher diet of meat, cartilage and bone. Hyainailouros was a typical member of this group, and one of the largest at that. Remains of this genus are known from the Miocene; from Southern Africa to Eurasia.