Mesocyon

Mesocyon
Fossil range: Early Oligocene to Early Miocene

Skull of Mesocyon coryphaeus

†Temnocyon coryphaeus

Species

Mesocyon is an extinct genus of dog (family Canidae) which inhabited North America 34 Mya to 21 Mya, described by William Berryman Scott in 1890. Mesocyon was a member of the extinct subfamily Hesperocyoninae, which includes the earliest canids. It was the most basal member of a clade that also includes the genera Cynodesmus, Sunkahetanka, Philotrox, and Enhydrocyon. Like other members of this group, Mesocyon had a hypercarnivorous dentition, indicating that its diet was almost exclusively meat.

Mesocyon is labeled as #6 in this paleobiome illustration by John Day

[edit] References

Wang, X. 1994. Phylogenetic systematics of the Hesperocyoninae (Carnivora, Canidae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 221:1-207.

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