Pseudocyon
| Pseudocyon Temporal range: 23.3–7Ma | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Caniformia |
| Family: | Amphicyonidae |
| Subfamily: | Amphicyoninae |
| Genus: | Pseudocyon Hunt (1988) |
| Species | |
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| Synonyms | |
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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
- P. sansaniensis
- P. steinheimensis
- P. styriacus