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Borhyaenidae
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Borhyaenidae

fossil marsupial family
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History

Borhyaenidae, family of extinct South American marsupial mammals occurring from the Early Paleocene Epoch into the Early Pliocene (from about 63.5 to 5 million years ago). It is named for the genus Borhyaena; hyena-like specimens of this genus, found in early Miocene rocks of Argentina (23 million years old), had large skulls and heavy crushing teeth. Not all borhyaenids, however, were hyenoid. Thylacosmilus was a Pliocene-aged marsupial counterpart of the sabre-toothed tiger. Many other forms were wolflike and foxlike.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Richard Pallardy.