Adilophontes

Adilophontes
Temporal range: Early Oligocene–Early Miocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Caniformia
Family: Amphicyonidae
Subfamily: Daphoeninae
Genus: Adilophontes
Hunt (2002)

Adilophontes is an extinct genus of large, mostly carnivorous bone-crushing mammals known as bear dogs, of the family Amphicyonidae, endemic to North America during the Oligocene to Miocene, living from 24.8—20.6 Ma and existed for approximately 4.2 million years. [1]

Taxonomy

Adilophontes was named by Hunt (2002). Its type is Adilophontes brachykolos. It was assigned to Daphoeninae by Hunt (2002).

Morphology

A single specimen was examined by Legendre and Roth[2] for body mass and was estimated to weigh 68.6 kg (150 lb).

Fossil distribution

References

  1. Paleobiology Database: Adilophontes Basic info.
  2. S. Legendre and C. Roth. 1988. Correlation of carnassial tooth size and body weight in recent carnivores (Mammalia). Historical Biology 1(1):85-98