PBDB Taxon

Basic info	Taxonomic history	Classification	Included Taxa
Morphology	Ecology and taphonomy	External Literature Search	Age range and collections

Leptarctus

Mammalia - Carnivora - Mustelidae

Taxonomy

Leptarctus was named by Leidy (1856) [also said to be 1857]. Its type is Leptarctus primus.

It was assigned to Cercoleptinae by Hay (1902); to Leptarctini by Baskin (1998); to Mustelidae by Leidy (1856), Carroll (1988) and Baskin (2005); and to Leptarctinae by Lim and Martin (2001), Wang et al. (2004), Korth and Baskin (2009), Bever and Zakrzewski (2009), Robles et al. (2010) and Baskin (2017).

Species

L. (Pseudoleptarctus), L. ancipidens, L. martini, L. mummorum, L. neimenguensis, L. oregonensis, L. primus (syn. Hypsoparia bozemanensis, Hypsoparia timmi) (type species), L. progressus, L. supremus, L. webbi, L. woodburnei, L. wortmani (syn. L. desuii, L. kansasensis, L. (Pseudoleptarctus) genowaysi)

Synonyms

Leptarctus (Pseudoleptarctus) was named by Lim and Martin (2003). It is not extant.

It was considered an invalid subgroup of Leptarctus by Korth and Baskin (2009).

It was assigned to Leptarctus by Lim and Martin (2003).
Hypsoparia was named by Dorr (1954). Its type is Hypsoparia bozemanensis.

It was synonymized subjectively with Leptarctus by Webb (1969), Sutton (1977), Voorhies (1990) and Korth and Baskin (2009).

It was assigned to Leptarctinae by Dorr (1954), Lim and Miao (2000), Lim and Martin (2002) and Wang et al. (2004).
Mephititaxus was named by White (1941).

It was synonymized subjectively with Leptarctus by Olsen (1957), Wagner and Reynolds (1983), Lim and Miao (2000) and Korth and Baskin (2009).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1856	Leptarctus Leidy
1902	Leptarctus Hay p. 764
1941	Mephititaxus White
1954	Hypsoparia Dorr p. 179
1988	Leptarctus Carroll
1998	Leptarctus Baskin p. 158
2000	Hypsoparia Lim and Miao
2001	Leptarctus Lim and Martin p. 314
2002	Hypsoparia Lim and Martin p. 270
2003	Leptarctus (Pseudoleptarctus) Lim and Martin
2004	Hypsoparia Wang et al.
2004	Leptarctus Wang et al.
2005	Leptarctus Baskin
2009	Leptarctus Bever and Zakrzewski p. 466
2009	Leptarctus Korth and Baskin p. 31
2010	Leptarctus Robles et al. p. 550
2017	Leptarctus Baskin pp. e1293069-12

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
—	Osteichthyes	()
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
—	Reptiliomorpha
—	Anthracosauria
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota
subclass	Synapsida
—	Therapsida	()
infraorder	Cynodontia	()
—	Mammaliamorpha
—	Mammaliaformes

Rank	Name	Author
class	Mammalia
—	Cladotheria
—	Zatheria
subclass	Tribosphenida	()
subclass	Theria
—	Eutheria	()
—	Placentalia
—	Boreoeutheria
—	Laurasiatheria
—	Scrotifera
—	Ferae	()
—	Carnivoramorpha	Wyss and Flynn 1993
—	Carnivoraformes	Flynn et al.
order	Carnivora
suborder	Caniformia	Kretzoi 1943
infraorder	Canoidea	(Simpson 1931)
superfamily	Arctoidea	Flower 1869
—	Mustelida
family	Mustelidae	Fischer 1817
subfamily	Leptarctinae	Gazin 1936
genus	Leptarctus

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

G. †Leptarctus Leidy 1856

show all | hide all

†Leptarctus ancipidens White 1941

†Leptarctus martini Lim and Miao 2000

†Leptarctus mummorum Korth and Baskin 2009

†Leptarctus neimenguensis Zhai 1964

†Leptarctus oregonensis Stock 1930

†Leptarctus primus Leidy 1856

hide

Invalid names: Hypsoparia bozemanensis Dorr 1954 [synonym], Hypsoparia timmi Lim and Martin 2002 [synonym]

†Leptarctus progressus Simpson 1930

†Leptarctus supremus Lim et al. 2001

†Leptarctus webbi Baskin 2005

†Leptarctus woodburnei Bever and Zakrzewski 2009

†Leptarctus wortmani Matthew 1924

hide

Invalid names: Leptarctus (Pseudoleptarctus) genowaysi Lim and Martin 2003 [synonym], Leptarctus desuii Lim and Martin 2001 [synonym], Leptarctus kansasensis Lim and Martin 2001 [synonym]

Invalid names: Hypsoparia Dorr 1954 [synonym], Leptarctus (Pseudoleptarctus) Lim and Martin 2003 [invalid subgroup], Mephititaxus White 1941 [synonym]

Diagnosis

Reference	Diagnosis
J. A. Dorr 1954 (Hypsoparia)	Skull size and general proportions, except for zygomatic arch, about that of Leptarctus primus Leidy (1856). Skull broad across zygomae. Muzzle short, deep, and wide. Two separate, prominent, broad and heavy temporal crests. Dental formula I 3?/3, C 1/l, P 3/3, Ml?/2. P, with well developed posterior accessory cuspule external to midline; quadrangular in outline with well developed hypocone; paracone and metacone separated by a distinct notch. M~ quadrate, longest on labial side of crown; protocone more anteriorly placed and hypoconal crescent stronger than in Craterogale Gazin (1936); differs from Mephititaxus White (1941) in being smaller, less inflated, and longer than wide. Orbit small, subcircular, nearly closed behind. Zygomatic arch extremely large, more so than in Leptarctus Leidy (1956) as revised by l\fatthew (1924); height just posterior to orbit equal to or slightly greater than orbital height, becoming higher posteriorly; greatest height just anterior to glenoid cavity about one and three-quarters times orbital height; ventral edge grooved for reception of masseter muscle. Lower jaw large and heavily built, as in Leptarctus wortmani Matthew (1924); anterior edge of coronoid rising steeply, masseteric fossa deep. M, reduced.