Amphictis antiqua is the type species of Amphictis, an extinct genus of small early musteloid carnivorans that lived from the Late Oligocene to the Middle Miocene and left fossils in Eurasia and North America. The species was first described in 1842 under the name Viverra antiqua and was assigned to the new genus Amphictis in 1853. The genus has often been regarded as an ailurid, a relative of the red panda, and is usually placed in the subfamily Amphictinae, although the relationships among its species and to other ailurids are not fully understood. A 2025 study by Morales and colleagues treated Amphictis as the namesake of a separate family, Amphictidae, of basal musteloids.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) Living or Extinct Conservation Status Connections
Child Taxon Of
Source Amphictis (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Ailuridae
WikipediaLead, earliest known member AmphictisQuote, Lead, earliest known member Amphictis
The earliest known member, Amphictis, was likely an unspecialised carnivore, based on its dentition.
2. Paleobiology Database: Taxon record for Amphictis antiqua
Paleobiology DatabaseTaxon record, extant status
"is_extant": "extinct"
Taxon record, extinction as conservation status
"is_extant": "extinct"
Ecospace record, environment
"taxon_environment": "terrestrial"
View the Source Amphictis (Wikipedia)
In Group: Mustelids, Procyonids And Other Carnivorans, Lead, classification as a musteloid
Amphictis is an extinct genus of early musteloid which lived from the Late Oligocene to the Middle Miocene
Child Taxon Of: Ailuridae, Lead, ailurid placement
Though often regarded as an ailurid (part of the red panda family)
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