Prohesperocyon

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Prohesperocyon[1] Fossil range: Late Eocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae Subfamily: †Hesperocyoninae Genus: †Prohesperocyon Wang, 1994 Species: †P. wilsoni
Binomial name
†Prohesperocyon wilsoni (Gustafson, 1986)

Prohesperocyon ("before Hesperocyon") is an extinct genus of dog (family Canidae) named by Xiaoming Wang in 1994. Only a single species, Prohesperocyon wilsoni, is recognized. Prohesperocyon inhabited Texas during the late Eocene, approximately 36 million years ago. Prohesperocyon was first described as a new species of the genus Hesperocyon, but Wang placed it in a new genus because it lacks features of the skull and dentition found in all other canids, including Hesperocyon.^[1] More recent studies indicate that Prohesperocyon may not even belong to Canidae.^[2] Although Prohesperocyon may be the most basal known canid, Hesperocyon appears in the fossil record before Prohesperocyon.

[edit] References

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

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