Cynarctus
| Cynarctus Temporal range: Middle Miocene–Late Miocene | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Canidae |
| Subfamily: | †Borophaginae |
| Genus: | †Cynarctus Matthew, 1902 |
| Type species | |
| †Cynarctus saxatilis | |
| Species | |
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Cynarctus is an extinct canid of the subfamily Borophaginae which inhabited most of North America during the Late Miocene subepoch (15.9—10.3 mya). Cynarctus existed for approximately 5.6 million years.[1]
Taxonomy
Cynarctus was named by Matthew in 1902. It was assigned to Amphicyoninae by Matthew (1902); to Canidae by Carroll (1988); and to Cynarctina by Wang et al. (1999).[2]
Morphology
Two specimens were examined by Legendre and Roth for body mass. The first specimen was estimated to weigh 5.28 kg (11.6 lb). The second specimen was estimated to weigh 5.16 kg (11.4 lb).[3]
Fossil distribution
Fossils have been uncovered in California, Maryland, western Nebraska, and Texas.
References
- ↑ Paleobiology Database: Cynartus basic info.
- ↑ W. D. Matthew. 1902. New canidae from the Miocene of Colorado. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History
- ↑ S. Legendre and C. Roth. 1988. Correlation of carnassial tooth size and body weight in recent carnivores (Mammalia). Historical Biology
- Wang, X., R.H. Tedford, and B.E. Taylor. 1999. Phylogenetic systematics of the Borophaginae (Carnivora, Canidae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 243:1-391.
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