Enhydrocyon

Enhydrocyon
Temporal range: Early Oligocene–Early Miocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Enhydrocyon
Cope, 1879
Type species
Enhydrocyon stenocephalus
Species
  • E. basilatus
  • E. crassidens
  • E. pahinsintewakpa
  • E. sectorius (nomen vanum)
  • E. stenocephalus
Range of Enhydrocyon fossil evidence

Enhydrocyon is an extinct genus of bone crushing dog which inhabited North America exclusively during the Oligocene living from around 28.7—22.0 Ma (AEO) and existed for approximately 6.7 million years. [1]

Enhydrocyon's dentition suggests this animal was a hypercarnivore or mesocarnivore.[2][3]

Contents

Taxonomy

Enhydrocyon was named by Cope (1879). Its type is Enhydrocyon stenocephalus. It was assigned to Canidae by Cope (1879) and Munthe (1998).[4]

Morphology

Two specimens were examined by Legendre and Roth for body mass. The first specimen was estimated to weigh 22.1 kg (49 lb). The second specimen was estimated to weigh 22.4 kg (49 lb).[5]

Species

References

  1. ^ http://paleobackup.nceas.ucsb.edu:8110/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=41211&is_real_user=1 Enhydrocyon: Basic info.
  2. ^ R. M. Nowak. 1991. Walker's Mammals of the World. Maryland, Johns Hopkins University Press (edited volume) II
  3. ^ Q. Ji, Z.-X. Luo, C.-X. J.R. Yuan Wible, J.-P. Zhang, and J.A. Georgi. 2002. The earliest known eutherian mammal. Nature 416:816-822
  4. ^ R. L. Carroll. 1988. Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution. W.H. Freeman and Company
  5. ^ S. Legendre and C. Roth. 1988. Correlation of carnassial tooth size and body weight in recent carnivores (Mammalia). Historical Biology 1(1):85-98
  6. ^ PaleoDB collection 17801, Authorized by John Alroy.
  7. ^ Correlation of carnassial tooth size and body weight in recent carnivores (Mammalia). Historical Biology 1(1):85-98, Legendre & Roth