| Daphoenus Temporal range: 42–16.3 Ma Early Oligocene-Early Miocene |
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| Daphoenus skeleton. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | †Amphicyonidae |
| Genus: | †Daphoenus Leidy, 1853 |
| Type species | |
| †Daphoenus vetus |
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| Species | |
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| Synonyms | |
Daphoenus is an extinct member of the family Amphicyonidae ("bear dogs") belonging to the class Mammalia, an extinct order of terrestrial carnivores belonging to the suborder Caniformia, which inhabited North America from the Early Eocene subepoch to the Early Miocene subepoch 42—16.3 Mya, existing for approximately 25.7 million years.[1]
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Daphoenus was named by Joseph Leidy (1853). Its species was Daphoenus vetus. It was assigned to Amphicyonidae by Leidy (1853) and Carroll (1988); and to Daphoeninae by Hunt (1998) and Hunt (2002).[2]
A single specimen was measured by Legendre and Roth in 1988 for estimated body mass.[3]
Daphoenus was called a "bear dog" because it had characteristics of both bears and dogs. These animals were about the size of the present day coyote. Daphoenus vetus was the largest species. The male skulls could reach up to 20 cm in length. Daphoenus had short legs, and could only make quick sprints. These animals were not able to run long distances. It is thought that these animals ambushed their prey, and did some scavenging. Fossil footprints suggested that these animals walked in a flat-footed way. This is similar to the way that present day bears walk. Daphoenus dug burrows for their offspring to stay in and hide from their prey. [4]
Amphicyonids are discussed in Robert M. Hunt's article Global Climate and the Evolution of Large Mammalian Carnivores during the Later Cenozoic in North America. D. Vetus was the largest of the species. D. hartshornianus, D. lambei (syn. D. demilo), D. ruber, D. socialis, D. transversus, D. vetus (syn. Proamphicyon nebrascensis)
Daphoenus fossils found in late Oligocene rocks in the Great Plains are dated at ~28 Ma. Daphoenus survived to 27 Ma in the Pacific Northwest in the John Day beds of Oregon.[5] Other sites include: Alachua County, Florida (Whitneyan) estimated at 31.1—24.3 Ma., Tecuya Canyon, California (Arikareean age) 30.8—20.6 Ma., Haystack Member Formation, Wheeler County, Oregon (Hemingfordian) 20.6—16.3 Ma., Lac Pelletier, Alberta, Canada (Duchesnean) ~42 Ma.