noun
- extinct carnivorous mammals that lived from the Paleocene to the Miocene epochs, characterized by primitive features and considered ancestors or relatives of modern carnivores
Usage: paleontology; scientific
Examples
- Creodonts were among the dominant predators during the early Tertiary period.
- The museum’s fossil collection includes several creodont specimens from North America.
- Scientists study creodonts to understand the evolution of carnivorous mammals.
- Unlike modern carnivores, creodonts had different dental arrangements.
- Many creodonts became extinct as more advanced carnivores evolved.
- The largest creodonts could reach the size of modern bears.