Euoplocyon
| Euoplocyon | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivoramorpha |
| Family: | † Borophaginae |
| Genus: | † Euoplocyon Matthew, 1924 |
| Type species | |
| † Euplocyon brachygnathus | |
| Species | |
|
† Euoplocyon brachygnathus | |
Euoplocyon is an extinct genus of the Borophaginae and a small terrestrial canine which inhabited most of North America during the Hemingfordian stage of the Early Miocene subepoch through the Barstovian stage of the Middle Miocene subepoch living 20.6—13.6 Mya, existing for about 7 million years.[1]
Taxonomy
Euoplocyon was named by Matthew (1924). Its type is Euoplocyon praedator. It was assigned to Canidae by Matthew (1924) and Munthe (1998); and to Borophagini by Wang et al. (1999).[2][3][4]
Morphology
Fossil specimens of two individuals' body mass were examined by Legendre and Roth. The first specimen was estimated to weigh 9.63 kg (21.2 lbs). The second specimen was estimated to weigh 9.13 kg (20.1 lbs).[5]
Species
- E. brachygnathus (synonymous with E. praedator) was incorrectly named Aelurodon brachygnathus by Douglass in 1903 according to Wang.
- E. spissiden was originally named Aelurocyon spissidens by White in 1947. It was recombined as Enhydrocyon spissidens by Olsen in 1958 and Euoplocyon spissidens by Tedford and Frailey (1976) and X. Wang in 1999.[6]
Sister genera
Cormocyon, Desmocyon, Metatomarctus, Microtomarctus, Protomarctus, Psalidocyon, and Tephrocyon.
Fossil distribution
- E. brachygnathus was found in the Flint Creek Beds, a Miocene terrestrial horizon in Montana.
- E. spissiden was found on the Thomas Farm in a Hemingfordian terrestrial in the Alachua Formation, Alachua County, Florida.
Sources
- ↑ PaleoBiology Database: Euoplocyon Taxonomy, Species
- ↑ W. D. Matthew. 1924. Third contribution to the Snake Creek Fauna. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 50:59-210
- ↑ K. Munthe. 1998. Canidae. In C. M. Janis, K. M. Scott, and L. L. Jacobs (eds.), Evolution of Tertiary mammals of North America 124-143
- ↑ X. Wang, R. H. Tedford, and B. E. Taylor. 1999. Phylogenetic systematics of the Borophaginae (Carnivora: Canidae). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 243:1-392
- ↑ S. Legendre and C. Roth. 1988. Correlation of carnassial tooth size and body weight in recent carnivores (Mammalia). Historical Biology
- ↑ PaleoBiology Database: Euoplocyon Species
- Flynn, J.J., 1998. Early Cenozoic Carnivora ("Miacoidea"). pp.110-123 in C.M. Janis, K.M. Scott, and L.L. Jacobs (eds.) Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America. Volume 1: Terrestrial Carnivores, Ungulates, and Ungulatelike Mammals. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ISBN 0-521-35519-2