Borophaginae
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The subfamily Borophaginae is an extinct group of canids that were native to North America, and lived from roughly 40 to 2.5 million years ago (Oligocene to Pliocene).[1]
The Borophaginae apparently descended from the subfamily Hesperocyoninae; they evolved to become considerably larger than their predecessors, and filled a wide range of niches in late Cenozoic North America, from small omnivores to powerful, bear-sized carnivores such as Epicyon.[2], [3]
Often generically referred to as "bone-crushing dogs" for their powerful teeth and jaws, and hyena-like features (although their dentition was more primitive than that of hyenas), their fossils are abundant and widespread; in all likelihood, they were probably one of the top predators of their ecosystem.[4],[1] Their good fossil record has also allowed a detailed reconstruction of their phylogeny, showing that the group was highly diverse in its heyday.[5]
Noteworthy genera in this group are Aelurodon, Epicyon, Borophagus, and Osteoborus.
Taxonomy
Genera include
- Aelurodon (16-12 Ma)
- Archaeocyon (32 Ma)
- Borophagus (12-5 Ma),
- Cynarctoides (30-18 Ma),
- Cynarctus (16-12 Ma),
- Cynodictis (40-20Ma),
- Epicyon (12-10 Ma)
- Eulopocyon (18-16 Ma)
- Metatomarctus (19-16 Ma)
- Microtomarctus (18 Ma)
- Osteoborus.
- Otarocyon (34-30 Ma)
- Oxetocyon (32 Ma)
- Paracynarctus (19-16 Ma)
- Phlaocyon (30-19 Ma)
- Protepicyon (16 Ma)
- Psalidocyon (16 Ma)
- Rhizocyon (30 Ma)
- Tephrocyon (16 Ma)
- Paratomarctus (16-13 Ma)
- Tomarctus (16 Ma)
See also
References:
- ^ Alan Turner, "National Geographic: Prehistoric Mammals" (Washington, D.C.: Firecrest Books Ltd., 2004), pp. 112-114. ISBN 0-7922-7134-3
- ^ http://www.lioncrusher.com/family.asp?family=Canidae
- ^ http://www.lioncrusher.com/family.asp?family=Canidae
- ^ http://www.nhm.org/expeditions/rrc/wang/documents/Wangetal1999borophaginemonographpart1.pdf
- ^ http://www.nhm.org/expeditions/rrc/wang/documents/Wangetal1999borophaginemonographpart1.pdf
- ^ http://www.nhm.org/expeditions/rrc/wang/documents/Wangetal1999borophaginemonographpart1.pdf
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