Quercygale
genus of extinct placental mammals
Quercygale ("weasel from Quercy") is an extinct genus of placental mammals from the clade Carnivoraformes, that lived in Europe during the early to late Eocene.
Relation to other taxa
Currently, Quercygale is either assigned to no family (i. e. it is just classified as one of the basal genera of Carnivoraformes) or it is assigned to the paraphyletic family Miacidae. Phylogenetic analysis of the basicranial morphology of carnivoramorphans suggests that Quercygale is the most advanced member of the clade Carnivoraformes as a sister taxon to crown-clade Carnivora, predating the split between Feliformia and Caniformia. Another recent study, however, has proposed that the genus Quercygale should be placed as a stem group within Feliformia.
In the past (till about 2010), Quercygale was assigned either to the family Miacidae (which was considered monophyletic in the past), or to the family Viverravidae. Only one author (Kretzoi 1945) classified it as the only genus of its own family Quercygalidae (Quercygalidae, however, was considered another name for the family Miacidae by another author). Alternatively, individual authors considered Quercygale to be a basal genus of Caniformia or a synonym of the genus Tapocyon.
The public source identifies “Quercygale” as genus of extinct placental mammals. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Quercygale, genus and extinct.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Quercygale”, the useful work is to connect “genus of extinct placental mammals” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 7, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7271356. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2010 and 1945.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
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Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Quercygale”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Quercygale primary sources, Quercygale archive and Quercygale research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
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Questions for further research
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Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Quercygale” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.