Hapalorestes
Encyclopedia
Hapalorestes lived during the early to middle Eocene
and were the largest of the Hapalodectids. Their weight is estimated at 1 to 8 kilograms.
A characteristic trait of Hapalorestes is that the lower third molar is the longest in the row. There are broad, deep ‘embrasure pits’ present on the palate which would receive the crowns of the lower teeth when the jaws were closed. Similar pits are seen on the palates of Stem-whales, which has led some to believe they may share a close relation to modern whales.
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
and were the largest of the Hapalodectids. Their weight is estimated at 1 to 8 kilograms.
A characteristic trait of Hapalorestes is that the lower third molar is the longest in the row. There are broad, deep ‘embrasure pits’ present on the palate which would receive the crowns of the lower teeth when the jaws were closed. Similar pits are seen on the palates of Stem-whales, which has led some to believe they may share a close relation to modern whales.