Miacidae ("small points") is a former paraphyletic family of extinct primitive placental mammals that lived in North America, Europe and Asia during the Paleocene and Eocene epochs, about 65–33.9 million years ago.

The divergence of carnivorans from miacids is now inferred to have occurred in the middle Eocene (c. 42 million years ago).

[14] Traditionally, the Viverravidae (viverravids) had been thought to be the earliest carnivorans, with fossil records first appearing in the Paleocene of North America about 66 million years ago, but recent cranial morphology evidence now places them outside the order Carnivora.

[15] Later authorities disagreed, and propose that the viverravids arose in North America 66-60 million years ago, spread to Asia then later to Europe, and were the first carnivorans and possessed the first true pair of carnassial teeth.

[16]: p8 It has been proposed that miacids arose in North America and Europe 60-50 million years ago then later spread to Asia.