Pseudocyon

Pseudocyon
Temporal range: 23.3–7 Ma
Early Miocene - Middle Miocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Caniformia
Family: Amphicyonidae
Subfamily: Amphicyoninae
Genus: Pseudocyon
Hunt (1988)
Species
  • P. sansaniensis
  • P. steinheimensis
  • P. styriacus
Synonyms
  • Amphicyonopsis

Pseudocyon, also known as Amphicyonopsis, is an extinct genus of terrestrial carnivores belonging to the suborder Caniformia, family of Amphicyonidae ("bear dog") and which inhabited Euroasia and North America from the Miocene epoch to the Late Miocene subepoch living 23.3—7.2 Mya. Pseudocyon existed for approximately 5.3 million years.[1]

Pseudocyon was assigned to Amphicyoninae by Hunt in 1988 and to Amphicyonidae by Lartet (1851), Carroll (1988) and Pickford et al. in 2000. It is synonymous with Amphicyonopsis.

Fossil distribution

Specimens were located in Belomechetskaia Russian Federation, Santa Cruz, New Mexico, Pontigne and Malartic, a la ferme Larrieu, France, and Nebraska.

Species

Sources