Aelurodon

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Aelurodon
Fossil range: middle to late Miocene
Skull of Aelurodon taxoides
Skull of Aelurodon taxoides
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Subfamily: †Borophaginae
Genus: †Aelurodon
Leidy, 1858
Type species
†Aelurodon ferox
Species[1][2]
  • †A. asthenostylus
  • †A. ferox
  • †A. mcgrewi
  • †A. montanensis
  • †A. stirtoni
  • †A. taxoides
Synonyms
  • Prohyaena Schlosser, 1890
  • Strobodon Webb, 1969

Aelurodon ("cat tooth") is an extinct genus of the subfamily Borophaginae.[2] Part of a clade of canids loosely known as "bone-crushing" or "hyena-like" dogs, Aelurodon 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.[3][2] Large species of Aelurodon (A. ferox and A. taxoides) may have hunted in packs like living wolves.[4]

[edit] Species

Six species of Aelurodon are recognized.[1][2] Aelurodon asthenostylus was the earliest occurring species and it was probably a direct descendant of Tomarctus (specifically T. brevirostris). A. asthenostylus was itself the likely ancestor of all other Aelurodon species, which can be divided into two evolutionary lineages. Over time, members of one lineage (A. ferox → A. taxoides) became larger, while members of the second lineage became progressively smaller (A. montanensis → A. stirtoni → A. mcgrewi). Additionally, 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]

[edit] See also

[edit] References:

  1. ^ a b c Wang, Xiaoming; Richard Tedford, Beryl Taylor (1999-11-17). "Phylogenetic systematics of the Borophaginae". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 243: 1–391. 
  2. ^ 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". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 24 (2): 445–452. doi:10.1671/2493. 
  3. ^ [1] List of Aelurodon specimens from the Berkeley Natural History Museum. (Accessed 4/11/06)
  4. ^ Van Valkenburgh, B.; Sacco, T.; Wang, X. (2003). "Pack hunting in Miocene borophagine dogs: evidence from craniodental morphology and body size". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 279: 147–162. 
v • d • e
Extinct members of the family Canidae
Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Mammalia · Order: Carnivora · Suborder: Caniformia
†Hesperocyoninae
†Prohesperocyon · †Hesperocyon · †Mesocyon · †Cynodesmus · †Sunkahetanka · †Philotrox · †Enhydrocyon · †Paraenhydrocyon · †Osbornodon · †Caedocyon · †Ectopocynus
†Borophaginae
†Archaeocyon · †Oxetocyon · †Otarocyon · †Rhizocyon · †Cynarctoides · †Phlaocyon · †Cormocyon · †Desmocyon · †Metatomarctus · †Euoplocyon · †Psalidocyon · †Microtomarctus · †Protomarctus · †Tephrocyon · †Paracynarctus · †Cynarctus · †Tomarctus · †Aelurodon · †Paratomarctus · †Carpocyon · †Protepicyon · †Epicyon · †Borophagus
Caninae
(extinct genera)
†Leptocyon · †Prototocyon · †Eucyon · †Protocyon · †Theriodictis · †Dusicyon · †Nurocyon · †Xenocyon · †Cynotherium
Category