Ischyrocyon

Ischyrocyon
Temporal range: Miocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Caniformia
Family: Amphicyonidae
Subfamily: Amphicyoninae
Genus: Ischyrocyon
Matthew and Gidley (1904)

Ischyrocyon is an extinct genus of large, mostly carnivorous mammals (bone-crushers) known as bear dogs, of the family Amphicyonidae, subfamily Amphicyoninae, which inhabited North America during the Miocene living from ~16.3—10.3 Ma and existed for approximately 6 million years.[1]

Taxonomy

Ischyrocyon was named by Matthew and Gidley (1904). Its type is Ischyrocyon hyaenodus. It was assigned to Amphicyonidae by Matthew and Gidley (1904) and Carroll (1988); and to Amphicyoninae by Hunt (1998).[2]

Morphology

A single specimen was examined by Legendre and Roth for body mass.[3]

Fossil distribution

References

  1. Paleobiology Database: Ischyrocyon Basic info.
  2. R. L. Carroll. 1988. Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution. W.H. Freeman and Company
  3. S. Legendre and C. Roth. 1988. Correlation of carnassial tooth size and body weight in recent carnivores (Mammalia). Historical Biology 1(1):85-98