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Cynodesmus
''Cynodesmus'' ("dog link") is an extinct genus of omnivorous canine which inhabited North America during the Oligocene living from 33.3—-26.3 Ma and existed for approximately . ''Cynodesmus'' was one of the first canids to truly look dog-like. At around in length, it was about the same size as a modern coyote, but had a shorter skull, heavier tail, and longer rump. The shape of its limbs suggests that ''Cynodesmus'' was not a very good runner compared to most other canids; it probably attacked prey from an ambush. Unlike modern dogs, it had five toes on each foot, bearing partially retractable claws. Taxonomy ''Cynodesmus'' once included numerous species of Oligocene and Miocene canid with highly carnivorous (hypercarnivorous) dentitions. A revision of the genus by Wang (1994) indicates that most species previously placed in ''Cynodesmus'' are unrelated to the type species, ''C. thooides''. These other species have been placed the genera '' Carpocyon'', ''Desmocyon'', ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hesperocyoninae
The extinct Hesperocyoninae are one of three subfamilies found within the canid family. The other two canid subfamilies are the extinct Borophaginae and extant Caninae. Taxonomic history Hesperocyoninae are basal canids that gave rise to the other two canid subfamilies, the Borophaginae and Caninae. This subfamily was endemic to North America, living from the Duchesnean stage of the Late Eocene through to the early Barstovian stage of the Miocene, lasting around 20 million years. It comprises 10 recognized genera and 26 recognized species. Four major lineages can be defined based on shared characteristics: *'' Mesocyon''-'' Enhydrocyon'' clade (includes '' Cynodesmus, Sunkahetanka, Philotrox'') *'' Osbornodon'' clade *''Paraenhydrocyon'' *''Ectopocynus clade'' The genus '' Caedocyon'', which is only known from a single partial cranium that shows some ''Paraenhydrocyon'' affinities, probably represents another independent lineage. '' Hesperocyon'', which lacks the sh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carpocyon
''Carpocyon'' is an extinct genus of the Borophaginae subfamily of canids native to North America. It lived from the Middle to the Late Miocene, 13.6 to 5.3 Ma Mya, existing for approximately . The four species in the genus varied in size, with the largest (''C. webbi'') being about the size of a wolf; all had relatively small teeth, suggesting a diet that was more omnivorous than that of other contemporary borophagines. Species *''Carpocyon compressus'' (syn. ''Cynodesmus cuspidatus''), fossils have been found in Nevada, Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas. *''Carpocyon limosus'', fossils have been found in Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Florida. *''Carpocyon robustus'', fossils have been found in Arizona, California, Colorado, South Dakota, and Texas. *''Carpocyon webbi'', fossils have been found in Nebraska and New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Otarocyon
''Otarocyon'' ("large eared dog") is an extinct genus of the Borophaginae subfamily of canids native to North America. It lived during the Oligocene epoch, about 34—30 Ma (million years ago). Fossils have been found only in Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota. ''Otarocyon'' was a small borophagine characterized by a short, broad skull, a specialized middle ear, simple, tall premolar The premolars, also called premolar teeth, or bicuspids, are transitional teeth located between the canine and molar teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per quadrant in the permanent set of teeth, making eight premolars total in the mouth ... teeth, and molars that are incipiently adapted to a hypocarnivorous diet. Despite its Oligocene age, the skull of ''Otarocyon'' shows several striking similarities to the living fennec fox, particularly in the structure of its middle ear. The similarities are probably convergent, but they suggest that ''Otarocyon'' may have been similar in i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Berryman Scott
William Berryman Scott (February 12, 1858 – March 29, 1947) was an American vertebrate paleontologist, authority on mammals, and principal author of the White River Oligocene monographs. He was a professor of geology and paleontology at Princeton University. Family and education Scott was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on February 12, 1858, the son of Mary Elizabeth Hodge Scott and William McKendree Scott, a Presbyterian minister. He was the youngest of three sons; his brother Hugh Lenox Scott went on to become superintendent of West Point and Army Chief of Staff. Shortly after the family moved to Princeton, New Jersey in 1861, his father died and the family lived with his maternal grandfather who was also a Presbyterian minister and an instructor at the Princeton Theological Seminary.American National Biography 1999Sterling 1997 His early education focused on theology, philosophy and the classics in preparation for an expected career as a minister. However, when he entered P ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Osbornodon
''Osbornodon'' (" Osborn's tooth") is an extinct genus of canid that were endemic to North America and which lived from the Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but the ... to the Early Miocene, 33.9—15.97 Ma ( AEO), existing for approximately . It was the last surviving genus of the hesperocyonine subfamily, the oldest subfamily of canids. Species Seven known species of ''Osbornodon'' existed: *''Osbornodon bra ...[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Borophagus
''Borophagus'' ("gluttonous eater") is an extinct genus of the subfamily Borophaginae, a group of canids endemic to North America from the Middle Miocene epoch through the Early Pleistocene epoch 12—1.8 Mya. Evolution ''Borophagus'', like other borophagines, are loosely known as "bone-crushing" or "hyena-like" dogs. Though not the most massive borophagine by size or weight, it had a more highly evolved capacity to crunch bone than earlier, larger genera such as ''Epicyon'', which seems to be an evolutionary trend of the group (Turner, 2004). During the Pliocene epoch, ''Borophagus'' began being displaced by other ''Canid'' species such as ''Canis edwardii'' and later by '' Aenocyon dirus''. Early species of ''Borophagus'' were placed in the genus ''Osteoborus'' until recently, but the genera are now considered synonyms. Description Typical features of this genus are a bulging forehead and powerful jaws; ''Borophagus'' has been considered to be probably a scavenger by paleon ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Convergent Evolution
Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species of different periods or epochs in time. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function but were not present in the last common ancestor of those groups. The cladistic term for the same phenomenon is homoplasy. The recurrent evolution of flight is a classic example, as flying insects, birds, pterosaurs, and bats have independently evolved the useful capacity of flight. Functionally similar features that have arisen through convergent evolution are ''analogous'', whereas ''homologous'' structures or traits have a common origin but can have dissimilar functions. Bird, bat, and pterosaur wings are analogous structures, but their forelimbs are homologous, sharing an ancestral state despite serving different functions. The opposite of convergence is divergent evolution, where related species evolve different traits. Convergent evolution is similar to paralle ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fennec Fox
The fennec fox (''Vulpes zerda'') is a small crepuscular fox native to the deserts of North Africa, ranging from Western Sahara to the Sinai Peninsula. Its most distinctive feature is its unusually large ears, which serve to dissipate heat and listen for underground prey. The fennec is the smallest species of fox. Its coat, ears, and kidney functions have adapted to the desert environment with high temperatures and little water. It mainly eats insects, small mammals, and birds. The fennec has a life span of up to 14 years in captivity and about 10 years in the wild. Its main predators are the Verreaux's eagle-owl, jackals, and other large mammals. Fennec families dig out burrows in the sand for habitation and protection, which can be as large as and adjoin the burrows of other families. Precise population figures are not known but are estimated from the frequency of sightings; these indicate that the fennec is currently not threatened by extinction. Knowledge of social inter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wolf
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly understood, comprise wild subspecies. The wolf is the largest extant member of the family Canidae. It is also distinguished from other '' Canis'' species by its less pointed ears and muzzle, as well as a shorter torso and a longer tail. The wolf is nonetheless related closely enough to smaller ''Canis'' species, such as the coyote and the golden jackal, to produce fertile hybrids with them. The banded fur of a wolf is usually mottled white, brown, gray, and black, although subspecies in the arctic region may be nearly all white. Of all members of the genus ''Canis'', the wolf is most specialized for cooperative game hunting as demonstrated by its physical adaptations to tackling large prey, its more social nature, and its highly adva ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tomarctus
''Tomarctus'' is a canid genus of the extinct subfamily Borophaginae which inhabited most of North America during the late Early Miocene to the Early Barstovian age of the Middle Miocene (23—16 million years ago). ''Tomarctus'' existed for approximately . This animal shared a period and ecology with a variety of bear dogs, giant mustelid genera, and the genus of bone-crushing Canidae, '' Cynarctoides''. As the bear dogs and giant mustelids became extinct, ''Tomarctus'' were a hyena-like fruit-eating canidae. Species The genus currently contains two accepted species, ''Tomarctus brevirostris'' and ''Tomarctus hippophaga''. ''Tomarctus brevirostris'', synonymous with ''Aelurodon francisi'', was named by Edward Drinker Cope in 1873. Fossil specimens have been found as far south as Panama, east to Plum Point, Maryland, west to California, and north to Montana. ''Tomarctus hippophaga'' was first described by Matthew and Cook in 1909 from the Trojan Quarry, Olcott Formati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Caninae
The Caninae, known as canines, are one of three subfamilies found within the canid family. The other two canid subfamilies are the extinct Borophaginae and Hesperocyoninae. The Caninae includes all living canids and their most recent fossil relatives. Their fossils were first found in North America and dated to the Oligocene era, then spreading to Asia at the end of the Miocene era, some 7 million to 8 million years ago. Taxonomy and lineage The genus '' Leptocyon'' (Greek: ''leptos'' slender + ''cyon'' dog) includes 11 species and was the first primitive canine. They were small and weighed around 2 kg. They first appeared in Sioux County, Nebraska in the Orellan era 34-32 million years ago, which was the beginning of the Oligocene. This was the same time as the appearance of the Borophaginae with whom they share features, indicating that these were two sister groups. Borophaginae skull and dentition were designed for a powerful killing bite compare ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Borophaginae
The extinct Borophaginae form one of three subfamilies found within the canid family. The other two canid subfamilies are the extinct Hesperocyoninae and extant Caninae. Borophaginae, called "bone-crushing dogs", were endemic to North America during the Oligocene to Pliocene and lived roughly 34—2.5 million years ago, existing for about . Origin The Borophaginae descended from the subfamily Hesperocyoninae. The earliest and most primitive borophagine is the genus ''Archaeocyon'', which is a small fox-sized animal mostly found in the fossil beds in western North America. The borophagines soon diversified into several major groups. They evolved to become considerably larger than their predecessors, and filled a wide range of niches in late Cenozoic North America, from small omnivores to powerful, bear-sized carnivores, such as ''Epicyon''. Species There are 66 identified borophagine species, including 18 new ones that range from the Orellan to Blancan ages. A phylogenetic ana ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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