REFERRAL OF MIACIS JEPSENI GUTHRIE TO OODECTES WORTMAN, AND AN ASSESSMENT OF PHYLOGENETIC-RELATIONSHIPS AMONG EARLY EOCENE MIACIDAE (MAMMALIA, CARNIVORA)

A phylogenetic analysis was conducted to address evolutionary relation ships among the earliest members of the Miacidae (one of two early Cen ozoic carnivoran families) and to ascertain the position of an ambiguo us taxon, ''Miacis'' jepseni, with respect to the genera Miacis, Uinta cyon, Vulpavus, Vassacyon, and Oodectes. The results of this analysis indicate that ''Miacis'' jepseni should be referred to the genus Oodec tes, and both genus and currently included species are rediagnosed. Th e phylogenetic relationship of Oodectes to other miacids, and relation ships among early Eocene miacids more generally, however, are. less we ll resolved. Support is found for sister taxon relationships between M iacis and Vulpavus and between Uintacyon and Vassacyon, and it is sugg ested that this latter clade is the sister taxon to all other members of Miacidae.