Borophagini Temporal range: Oligocene-Early Pliocene |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Family: | Canidae |
Subfamily: | †Borophaginae |
Genus: | (tribe) †Borophagini G. G. Simpson, 1945 |
Range of Borophagini based on fossil distribution |
Borophagini is a clade or tribe of the subfamily Borophaginae. This is an extinct group of terrestrial canids that were endemic and widespread throughout North America and Central America which lived during the Geringian stage of the Oligocene epoch to the Zanclean age of the Early Pliocene living 30.8—3.6 Mya existing approximately 27.2 million years.[1]
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Borophagini were a short-faced, heavy-jawed canine usually massive in size. They were primarily carnivores but dentition demonstrates omnivore traits. These animals were actively mobile. Reproduction was viviparous[2][3]
Borophagini was named by Simpson (1945) [credited to Simpson because he named Borophaginae]. It was assigned to Borophaginae by Wang et al. (1999) and Wang et al. (2004).[4]
The clade includes: Cormocyon, Desmocyon, Metatomarctus, Euoplocyon, Psalidocyon, Microtomarctus, Protomarctus, and Tephrocyon.
The subtaxa or subtribes are: Aelurodontina, Borophagina, and Cynarctina. Phlaocyonini is the sister taxa.
With the clade comprising many genus and subtaxa, the distribution of fossil specimens for Borophagini is widespread throughout the entire continent extending from coast to coast as well as Florida to western Oregon to the Panama Isthmus.
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