Euoplocyon

Euoplocyon
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivoramorpha
Family: Borophaginae
Genus: Euoplocyon
Matthew, 1924
Binomial name
Euoplocyon brachygnathus
Matthew, 1924
Type species
Euplocyon brachygnathus

Euoplocyon is an extinct genus of the Borophaginae and a small terrestrial canine which inhabited most of North America during the Hemingfordian stage of the Early Miocene subepoch through the Barstovian stage of the Middle Miocene subepoch living 20.6—13.6 Mya, existing for about 7 million years.[1]

Contents

Taxonomy

Euoplocyon was named by Matthew (1924). Its type is Euoplocyon praedator. It was assigned to Canidae by Matthew (1924) and Munthe (1998); and to Borophagini by Wang et al. (1999).[2][3][4]

Morphology

Fossil specimens of two individuals' body mass were examined by Legendre and Roth. The first specimen was estimated to weigh 9.63 kg (21.2 lbs). The second specimen was estimated to weigh 9.13 kg (20.1 lbs).[5]

Species

Sister genera

Cormocyon, Desmocyon, Metatomarctus, Microtomarctus, Protomarctus, Psalidocyon, and Tephrocyon.

Fossil distribution

Sources

  1. ^ PaleoBiology Database: Euoplocyon Taxonomy, Species
  2. ^ W. D. Matthew. 1924. Third contribution to the Snake Creek Fauna. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 50:59-210
  3. ^ K. Munthe. 1998. Canidae. In C. M. Janis, K. M. Scott, and L. L. Jacobs (eds.), Evolution of Tertiary mammals of North America 124-143
  4. ^ X. Wang, R. H. Tedford, and B. E. Taylor. 1999. Phylogenetic systematics of the Borophaginae (Carnivora: Canidae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 243:1-392
  5. ^ S. Legendre and C. Roth. 1988. Correlation of carnassial tooth size and body weight in recent carnivores (Mammalia). Historical Biology
  6. ^ PaleoBiology Database: Euoplocyon Species