Lars Werdelin

Lars Werdelin (born 1955) is a Swedish paleontologist specializing in the evolution of mammalian carnivores. His areas of scientific interest include the evolutionary interaction of carnivores and hominins in Africa, as well as the evolution and phylogeny of carnivore clades such as the Hyaenodonta, and the Hyaenidae.

He received his Ph.D. from Stockholm University in 1981. He is responsible for describing the Machairodontine genus Lokotunjailurus in 2003 and in 2023, the Machairodontine species Dinofelis werdelini was named in honour of him. The genus name of Werdelinus, an extinct hyaenid described in 2010, was also dedicated to him and his contributions to carnivore paleontology.

Below is a list of taxa that Werdelin has contributed to naming: YearTaxonAuthors2025Ictonyx harrisoni sp. nov.Werdelin & Fourvel 2025Taotienimravus songi gen. et sp. nov.Jiangzuo, Lyras, Grohe, Werdelin, Niu, Huang, Li, Jiang, Fu, Wan, Liu, Wang, & Deng 2024Prionailurus kurteni sp. nov.Jiangzuo, Werdelin, Zhang, Tong, Yan, Chen, Ma, Liu, & Wu 2023Amphimachairodus hezhengensis sp. nov.Jiangzuo, Werdelin, Sanisidro, Yang, Fu, Li, Wang, & Deng 2022Taowu liui gen. et sp. nov.Jiangzuo, Werdelin, & Sun 2021Ekweeconfractus amorui gen. et sp. nov.Flink, Cote, Rossie, Kibii, & Werdelin 2018Katifelis nightingalei gen. et sp. nov.Adrian, Werdelin, & Grossman 2018Kichechia savagei sp. nov.Adrian, Werdelin, & Grossman 2012Asilifelis coteae gen. et sp. nov.Werdelin 2010Lycaon sekowei sp. nov.Hartstone-Rose, Werdelin, De Ruiter, Berger, & Churchill 2008Crocuta eturono sp. nov.Werdelin & Lewis