Leonimurinae

Leonimurinae is a subfamily within the alphadontidae, a group of primitive mammals. all members of leonimurinae are hypercarnivores, all having a diet composed of about 80-90% meat. The most carnivorous leonimurine is the common liorat, eating almost exclusively meat. The least carnivorous are the liomios, eating about 80% meat. King liorats are in the middle, eating about 87-90% meat.

## Characteristics

The leonimurinae are characterized by the following:

- 2 pairs of carnassial teeth, with one molar being slightly reduced, but not completely missing.missing.

- webbed paws and unusually well-muscled front legs and tail (One exception of the tail rule is *Leonimus insidior*, which has much less
developed muscles there)

- An underwater tail motion that is side to side instead of up and down, as opposed to nearly all mammals. ( Common liorat is an exception due to its less developed tail.)

- A dentition of 2.1.3.4 on both top and bottom jaws, for a total of 40 teeth.

## Ancestry

Leonimurines decend from a special type of basal, semiaquatic alphadontids, the imbergnathia, which holds a position between family and subfamily. leonimurines are the only living members of this clade. the first known imbergnathian was actually a fully terrestrial animal known as G*liroleo,* a small, carnivorous, primitive animal who lost the ancestral 5th digit of their basal alphadontid ancestors to increase running efficency. *Gliroleo* species have powerful grasping forelimbs for prey capture.

## Classification changes

(note, these aren't drafts i made for the taxonomy, it's just some hypothetical reasearchers.)

Leonimurinae was originally completely separate from alphadontidae, in the now invalid infraorder "Leonimura"

Leonimurinae was originally going to be placed in a completely different order, The Imbergnathia. The classification of this as an order is now inaccurate, but it's now a transitional stage between basal alpadontids and the leonimurines.

Cetariunitelodds were originally separate from the leonimurinae, in their own subfamily.

"Leodelphinae" is also a valid synonym for this subfamily.

## Tribes and Genera

### Infrafamily Cetariunitelodds

#### Tribe Cetariunitellini

##### Genus *Cetariunitella* (False Yapoks/Lutrorats)

*- Cetariunitella galoides*: Greater Lutrorat (type species), (largest species in genus)

- *Cetariunitella lutrina*: short-furred Lutrorat

- *Cetariunitella viverra*: Mottled Lutrorat/fishing civet

### Tribe Leonimurini

#### Genus *Leonimus* (Liorats/Leonimures)

- *Leonimus insidior*, Common liorat

- *Leonimus rex*, King liorat (type species), (largest living species in genus)

- *Leomnimus arctos*, Ursine Liorat (extinct.)

### Tribe Musculileoini (Liomyos/Myorats)

#### Genus *Leogale*

- *Leogale ferox*, Lesser Liomyo (type species)

- *Leogale vulpina*, Vulpine Liomyo

- *Leogale magnanychus*, Large-Clawed Liomyo (largest species in genus)

#### Genus *Muscuilileo*

- *Musculileo fossor*, Burrowing Liomyo (type species)

- *Musculileo unguenis*, Arctic Liomyo (largest species in genus)

- *Musculileo ringor*, Ursine Liomyo

### Tribe Phocadidelphini

#### genus *Phocadidelphis*

- *Phocadidelphis Gigas*, Otarorat/Phocarat (Largest alphadont to ever exist)

Note: technically, all members of the leonimurinae are liorats. These names are different for convenience.