ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The optical photographs were taken by C. Lemzaouda and P. Loubry (MNHN-CNRS UMR 7207). The s.e.m. photographs were taken by Chancogne Christiane (MNHN- CNRS UMR 7207). Thanks to the people involved in the field researches in Le Quesnoy. This study was supported by a grant from "La Société des Amis du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle". We thank M. Jin and J. Galkin, from the American Museum of Natural History, New-York, and P. Gingerich and G. Gunnell, Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, for access to the material of Oxyaenidae housed in their respective institutes. Special thanks to G. de Ploëg for providing the specimen of Palaeonictis cf. gigantea for study. We also thank C. Argot (MNHN-CNRS UMR 7207) for her comments on postcranial material. We thank Dr. D. Russell and the amateurs which have participated in the field work, and E. Zoukouba (EPHE, UMR 7207) for the sorting of the fossils from Le Quesnoy. We thank the agreement between Lafarge, the MNHN and the family Langlois-Meurine. This work has been supported by the CNRS Eclipse program. Constructive comments of two anonymous referees improved the manuscript.