Pseudocyon

Pseudocyon
Temporal range: 23.3–7Ma

Early Miocene - Middle Miocene

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Caniformia
Family: Amphicyonidae
Subfamily: Amphicyoninae
Genus: Pseudocyon
Hunt (1988)
Species
  • P. sansaniensis
  • P. steinheimensis
  • P. styriacus
Synonyms
  • Amphicyonopsis

Pseudocyon, also known as Amphicyonopsis, is an extinct genus of terrestrial carnivores belonging to the suborder Caniformia, family of Amphicyonidae ("bear dog") and which inhabited Euroasia and North America from the Miocene epoch to the Late Miocene subepoch living 23.3—7.2 Mya. Pseudocyon existed for approximately 5.3 million years.[1]

Pseudocyon was assigned to Amphicyoninae by Hunt in 1988 and to Amphicyonidae by Lartet (1851), Carroll (1988) and Pickford et al. in 2000. It is synonymous with Amphicyonopsis.

Fossil distribution

Specimens were located in Belomechetskaia Russian Federation, Santa Cruz, New Mexico, Pontigne and Malartic, a la ferme Larrieu, France, and Nebraska. The largest fossil find was of a mandible (F:AM 49247) founded in New Mexico. The mass estimate derived from the mandible was about 773 kg, representing a very large individual of Pseudocyon.[2]

Species

Sources