Otarocyon

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Otarocyon Fossil range: early to late Oligocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae Subfamily: †Borophaginae Genus: †Otarocyon Wang, Tedford, & Taylor, 1999
Type species
†Cynodesmus cooki
Species
†O. cooki †O. macdonaldi

Otarocyon ("large eared dog") is an extinct genus of the dog family (Canidae) referrable to the extinct subfamily Borophaginae. Fossils of Otarocyon have been collected from the Oligocene of South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming.

Otarocyon was a small borophagine characterized by a short, broad skull, a specialized middle ear, simple, tall premolar teeth, and molars that are incipiently adapted to an omnivorous diet. Despite its Oligocene age, the skull of Otarocyon shows several striking similarities to the living Fennec Fox (Vulpes zerda), particularly in the structure of its middle ear. The similarities are probably convergent, but they suggest that Otarocyon may have been similar in its appearance and habits.

Two species of Otarocyon are known, O. macdonaldi from the early Oligocene (34-32 mya: Orellan NALMA), and O. cooki from the late Oligocene (30-24 mya: Arikareean NALMA). In addition to its earlier age, O. macdonaldi differs from O. cooki in being smaller and in showing lesser development of the specializations that characterize the genus. O. macdonaldi is also the earliest known member of the subfamily Borophaginae, although the later appearing Archaeocyon was more primitive.

[edit] References:

• Wang, X., R.H. Tedford, and B.E. Taylor. 1999. Phylogenetic systematics of the Borophaginae (Carnivora, Canidae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 243:1-391.

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