| Aelurodontina Fossil range: Middle Miocene–Early Pliocene |
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 Skull of Aelurodon taxoides
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| †Aelurodon ferox |
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| Species[1][2] | ||||||||||||||
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 Range of Aelurodontina based on fossil distribution
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Aelurodontina, originally named Aelurodon ("cat tooth") is an extinct genus of the subfamily Borophaginae which lived from the Hemingfordian stage (20.6 Mya) of the Miocene to the Hemphillian stage of the Early Pliocene (4.9 Mya).[2] [3] Aelurodontina existed for approximately .
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Origin
Aelurodontina are a part of a clade of canids loosely known as "bone-crushing" or "hyena-like" dogs, that apparently descended from the earlier genera Protomarctus and Tomarctus.[2] Several species are known from fossils found in the central and western U.S., suggesting a wide geographic range during their peak in the Miocene epoch.[4][2] Large species of Aelurodon (A. ferox and A. taxoides) may have hunted in packs like living wolves.[5]
Canid competitors
Aelurodontina lived during a period with other canidae, specifically Borophaginae such as Epicyon (20.6—5.330 Ma), Paratomarctus (16.3—5.3 Ma), Borophagus (23.3—3.6 Ma), Carpocyon (20.4—3.9 Ma), and the first emerging wolf, Canis lepophagus (10.3—1.8 Ma).
Species
Six species of Aelurodontina are recognized.[1][2]
- Aelurodon sp. existed from 23.03—5.33 ().
- Aelurodon asthenostylus existed from 20.6—13.6 Mya (). It was named by Wang et al. in 1999.
- Fossil specimens were uncovered in western Nebraska, northern Colorado, Nevada and south central California. Two specimens had an estimated body mass of 33.0 kg (73.5 lbs) and 29.4 kg (64.8 lbs).[6]
- Aelurodon ferox existed from 16.3—10.3 Mya () was named by Leidy in 1858.
- Fossil specimens were uncovered in western Nebraska, New Mexico, to the Texas gulf coast and to southern Montana. Two specimens had an estimated body mass of 45.6 kg (100.5 lbs) and 39.9 kg (88 lbs).
- Aelurodon mcgrewi existed from 16.3—13.6 Mya ()
- Fossil specimens were uncovered in western Nebraska. Two specimens had an estimated body mass of 30.6 kg (67.4 lbs) and 34.7 kg (76.5 lbs).
- Aelurodon montaneis existed from 16.3—13.6 Mya ()
- Aelurodon stirtoni existed from 16.3—10.3 Ma ()
- Fossil specimens were uncovered in western Nebraska and New Mexico. Two specimens had an estimated body mass of 33.9 kg (74.7 lbs) and 29.3 kg (64.5 lbs).
- Aelurodon taxoides existed from 13.6—5.330 Mya ()
- Fossil specimens were uncovered in Florida, south and north Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, and the bay area of California. Two specimens had an estimated body mass of 56.3 kg (124 lbs) and 48.8 kg (107.5 lbs).
The term "cat tooth" was termed by Joseph Leidy and the smaller lineage evolved teeth adapted to a more purely carnivorous (hypercarnivorous) diet, a trend consistent with other borophagines.[2] Some specimens of the largest species, Aelurodon taxoides, reached the size of a tiger.[1]
Sister species
Tomarctus, according to Wang, is a sister species of Aelurodontina.
See also
References
- ^ a b c Wang, Xiaoming; Richard Tedford, Beryl Taylor (1999-11-17). "Phylogenetic systematics of the Borophaginae" (PDF). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 243: 1–391. http://www.nhm.org/expeditions/rrc/wang/documents/Wangetal1999borophaginemonographpart1.pdf. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
- ^ a b c d e f Wang, Xiaoming; Benjamin Wideman, Ralph Nichols, Debra Hanneman (June 2004). "A new species of Aelurodon (Carnivora, Canidae) from the Barstovian of Montana" (PDF). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 24 (2): 445–452. doi:. http://www.nhm.org/expeditions/rrc/wang/documents/Wangetal2004MontanaAelurodon.pdf. Retrieved 2007-07-08.
- ^ Aelurodon, Age Range and Collections, PaleoBiology Database
- ^ [1] List of Aelurodon specimens from the Berkeley Natural History Museum. (Accessed 4/11/06)
- ^ Van Valkenburgh, B.; Sacco, T.; Wang, X. (2003). "Pack hunting in Miocene borophagine dogs: evidence from craniodental morphology and body size" (PDF). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 279: 147–162. http://www.nhm.org/expeditions/rrc/wang/documents/VanValkenburghetal2003packhunting.pdf. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
- ^ S. Legendre and C. Roth. 1988. Correlation of carnassial tooth size and body weight in recent carnivores (Mammalia). Historical Biology
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