Borophaginae

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Borophaginae
Fossil range: Oligocene to Pliocene (40 - 2.5 Ma)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Subfamily: Borophaginae
Genera

See text

The subfamily Borophaginae is an extinct group of canids that were endemic 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.[1][2]

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.[2],[1] Their good fossil record has also allowed a detailed reconstruction of their phylogeny, showing that the group was highly diverse in its heyday.[2]

Some borophagines were as big as modern day lions. Some resembled raccoons or coyotes and might have been omnivorous.

Noteworthy genera in this group are Aelurodon, Epicyon, and Borophagus (=Osteoborus).

[edit] Classification

Borophagine taxonomy, following Wang et al.[2]

Cladogram showing borophagine interrelationships, following Wang et al., figure 141:[2]

Canidae

Hesperocyoninae




Caninae


Borophaginae

Archaeocyon



Oxetocyon



Otarocyon




Rhizocyon



Phlaocyonini

Cynarctoides



Phlaocyon



Borophagini

Cormocyon




Desmocyon



Cynarctina

Paracynarctus



Cynarctus





Metatomarctus




Euoplocyon




Psalidocyon




Microtomarctus




Protomarctus




Tephrocyon


Aelurodontina

Tomarctus



Aelurodon



Borophagina

Paratomarctus




Carpocyon




Protepicyon




Epicyon



Borophagus





















[edit] See also

[edit] References:

  • ^ Alan Turner, "National Geographic: Prehistoric Mammals" (Washington, D.C.: Firecrest Books Ltd., 2004), pp. 112-114. ISBN 0-7922-7134-3
  1. ^ a b Postanowicz, Rebecca. Lioncrusher's Domain: Canidae. Retrieved on 2006-04-12.
  2. ^ a b c d e Wang, Xiaoming; Richard Tedford, Beryl Taylor (1999-11-17). "Phylogenetic systematics of the borophaginae". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 243.