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Simocyoninae
Simocyoninae is an extinct subfamily of Ailuridae (of which the only recent member is the red panda). The taxonomic history of this group was complicated, as researchers placed various fossil caniform genera into the subfamily. In addition to ''Simocyon'', there was also '' Oligobunis'' (an early mustelid), ''Cephalogale'' (a stem-bear), and '' Enhydrocyon'' (a hesperocyonine canid). This subfamily was initially classified within the Canidae or dog family. This idea went even further in 1910 when American paleontologist Henry Fairfield Osborn considered dholes, African wild dogs, and bush dogs to be the only extant representation left of the simocyonines. This was in large part to the overall similarity in the morphology of their molars, which suggested a shared ancestry of hypercarnivory. This view point was not supported by European paleontologists who believed that ''Simocyon'' was more closely related to musteloids. Soon the Simocyoninae were found as extinct subfamily of pro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ailuridae
Ailuridae is a family in the mammal order Carnivora. The family consists of the red panda (the sole living representative) and its extinct relatives. Georges Cuvier first described ''Ailurus'' as belonging to the raccoon family in 1825; this classification has been controversial ever since. It was classified in the raccoon family because of morphological similarities of the head, colored ringed tail, and other morphological and ecological characteristics. Somewhat later, it was assigned to the bear family. Molecular phylogenetic studies had shown that, as an ancient species in the order Carnivora, the red panda is relatively close to the American raccoon and may be either a monotypic family or a subfamily within the procyonid family. An in-depth mitochondrial DNA population analysis study stated: "According to the fossil record, the Red Panda diverged from its common ancestor with bears about 40 million years ago." With this divergence, by comparing the sequence difference ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Simocyon
''Simocyon'' ("short-snouted dog") is a genus of extinct carnivoran mammal in the family Ailuridae. ''Simocyon'', which was about the size of a mountain lion, lived in the late Miocene and early Pliocene epochs, and has been found in Europe, Asia, and rarely, North America and Africa. Classification The relationship of ''Simocyon'' to other carnivores has been controversial, but studies of the structure of its ear, teeth, and ankle now indicate that its closest living relative is the red panda, '' Ailurus'', although it is different enough to be classified in a separate subfamily (Simocyoninae) along with related genera '' Alopecocyon'' and ''Actiocyon''. Palaeoecology While the red panda is primarily herbivorous, the teeth and skull of ''Simocyon'' indicate that it was carnivorous, and it may have engaged in some bone-crushing, like living hyenas. The skeleton of ''Simocyon'' indicates that, like the red panda, it could climb trees, although it probably also spent consider ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alopecocyon
''Alopecocyon'' is a fossil genus of ailurid belonging to the subfamily Simocyoninae. It has two species, ''Alopecocyon goeriachensis'' and ''Alopecocyon getti''. It is based on fragmentary fossils dating to the middle Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ... of both Europe and Asia. Taxonomy and evolution The species ''A. goerichiachensis'' was first described (but in a different genus) in 1884. The genus was first named in 1940. A second species ''A. getti'' was described in 1958. The species ''A. getti'' was proposed to be moved to a new genus ''Meiniogale'' in 2002, but this was rejected. Characteristics ''Alopecocyon'' differed from the earlier '' Amphictis'' in that it had relatively larger second molars compared to the first molars. References * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Protursus
''Protursus'' is a fossil genus of ailurid with a single species ''Protursus simpsoni'', known from a single left m2 tooth. Taxonomy & Evolution ''Protursus simpsoni'' was believed to be an ursid (bear) closely related to ''Ursavus'' by its original describers. In 1977, Thenius lumped the species into the genus ''Simocyon'' as ''Simocyon simpsoni'', but this was rejected in 2005, instead being split back into ''Protursus'', though as a member of the subfamily Simocyoninae. Description ''Protursus simpsoni'' is known from only a single specimen, a left m2 found at the Late Miocene Can Llobateras site in Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur .... References Miocene carnivorans Monotypic prehistoric carnivoran genera Ailuridae Fossil taxa described in 1976 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Actiocyon
''Actiocyon'' was an extinct genus of ailurid that existed from the Middle Miocene of North America. The type species, ''Actiocyon leardi'', was described in 1947 by the American paleontologist Chester Stock. Description The holotype consisted of portions of a snout containing the palate with some teeth. Stock noted overall similarities to their contemporary genus ''Alopecocyon'' of Europe, though he tentatively classified ''Actiocyon'' as a procyonid Procyonidae ( ) is a New World family (biology), family of the order (biology), order Carnivora. It includes the Procyon (genus), raccoons, ringtails, cacomistles, coatis, kinkajous, olingos, and olinguitos. Procyonids inhabit a wide range of e ... due to the structure of fourth premolar and first molar. Some later authors have suggested ''Actiocyon'' to be a junior synonym of ''Alopecocyon'', though others have maintained the two as separated but related genera due to difference in dental and jaw morphology. A second and earl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dhole
The dhole ( ; ''Cuon alpinus'') is a canid native to South, East and Southeast Asia. It is anatomically distinguished from members of the genus ''Canis'' in several aspects: its skull is convex rather than concave in profile, it lacks a third lower molar, and the upper molars possess only a single cusp as opposed to between two and four. During the Pleistocene, the dhole ranged throughout Asia, with its range also extending into Europe (with a single putative, controversial record also reported from North America) but became restricted to its historical range 12,000–18,000 years ago. It is now extinct in Central Asia, parts of Southeast Asia, and possibly the Korean peninsula and Russia. Genetic evidence indicates that the dhole was the result of reticulate evolution, emerging from the hybridization between a species closely related to genus ''Canis'' and one from a lineage closely related to the African wild dog (''Lycaon pictus''). The dhole is a highly social ani ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henry Fairfield Osborn
Henry Fairfield Osborn, Sr. (August 8, 1857 – November 6, 1935) was an American paleontologist, geologist and eugenics advocate. He was professor of anatomy at Columbia University, president of the American Museum of Natural History for 25 years and a cofounder of the American Eugenics Society. Among his significant contributions include naming the dinosaurs ''Tyrannosaurus'' and ''Velociraptor'', his widely used system of names for dental cusps of mammalian teeth, as well as his research on fossil proboscideans (elephants and their extinct relatives). Osborn was one of the most well known scientists in the United States during his own lifetime, “second only to Albert Einstein", and was a prominent public advocate for the existence of evolution. Active during the eclipse of Darwinism, Osborn was a prominent opponent of natural selection as a mechanism of evolution, favouring the now discredited orthogenesis theory of which he was one of the most prominent advocates. In a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hyena
Hyenas or hyaenas ( ; from Ancient Greek , ) are feliform carnivoran mammals belonging to the family Hyaenidae (). With just four extant species (each in its own genus), it is the fifth-smallest family in the order Carnivora and one of the smallest in the class Mammalia. Despite their low diversity, hyenas are unique and vital components of most African ecosystems. Although phylogenetically closer to felines and viverrids, hyenas are behaviourally and morphologically similar to canids in several elements due to convergent evolution: both hyenas and canines are non-arboreal, cursorial hunters that catch prey with their teeth rather than claws. Both eat food quickly and may store it, and their calloused feet with large, blunt, nonretractable claws are adapted for running and making sharp turns. However, hyenas' grooming, scent marking, defecation habits, mating, and parental behavior are consistent with the behavior of other feliforms. Hyenas feature prominently in the fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after India, representing 17.4% of the world population. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and Borders of China, borders fourteen countries by land across an area of nearly , making it the list of countries and dependencies by area, third-largest country by land area. The country is divided into 33 Province-level divisions of China, province-level divisions: 22 provinces of China, provinces, 5 autonomous regions of China, autonomous regions, 4 direct-administered municipalities of China, municipalities, and 2 semi-autonomous special administrative regions. Beijing is the country's capital, while Shanghai is List of cities in China by population, its most populous city by urban area and largest financial center. Considered one of six ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shaanxi
Shaanxi is a Provinces of China, province in north Northwestern China. It borders the province-level divisions of Inner Mongolia to the north; Shanxi and Henan to the east; Hubei, Chongqing, and Sichuan to the south; and Gansu and Ningxia to the west. Shaanxi covers an area of over with about 37 million people, the 16th-largest in China. Xi'anwhich includes the sites of the former capitals Fenghao and Chang'anis the provincial capital and largest city in Northwest China and also one of the oldest cities in China and the oldest of the Historical capitals of China, Four Ancient Capitals, being the capital for the Western Zhou, Western Han, Sima Jin, Jin, Sui dynasty, Sui and Tang dynasty, Tang List of Chinese dynasties, dynasties. Xianyang, which served as the capital of the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC), is just north across the Wei River. The other Prefectures of China, prefecture-level prefecture-level city, cities into which the province is divided are Ankang, Baoji, Hanzho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Procyonidae
Procyonidae ( ) is a New World family of the order Carnivora. It includes the raccoons, ringtails, cacomistles, coatis, kinkajous, olingos, and olinguitos. Procyonids inhabit a wide range of environments and are generally omnivorous. Characteristics Procyonids are relatively small animals, with generally slender bodies and long tails, though the common raccoon tends to be bulky. Because of their general build, the Procyonidae are often popularly viewed as smaller cousins of the bear family. This is apparent in their German name, ''Kleinbären'' (small bears), including the names of the species: a raccoon is called a ''Waschbär'' (washing bear, as it "washes" its food before eating), a coati is a ''Nasenbär'' (nose-bear), while a kinkajou is a ''Honigbär'' (honey-bear). Dutch follows suit, calling the animals ''wasbeer'', ''neusbeer'' and ''rolstaartbeer'' (curl-tail bear) respectively. However, it is now believed that procyonids are more closely related to musteli ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Musteloidea
Musteloidea is a superfamily (taxonomy), superfamily of carnivoran mammals united by shared characteristics of the skull and teeth. Musteloids are the sister group of pinnipeds, the group which includes seals. Musteloidea comprises the following families: * Ailuridae, the red panda (and its extinct kin). * Mephitidae, the skunks and stink badgers. * Mustelidae, the weasel (mustelid) family, including new- and old-world badgers, ferrets and polecats, Fisher (animal), fishers, grisons and honey badger, ratels, martens and Martes zibellina, sables, minks, River otter (other), river and sea otters, stoats and Weasel, ermines, tayras and wolverines. * Procyonidae, the raccoons and raccoon-like procyonids, including coatimundis, kinkajous, olingos, olinguitos, ring-tailed cat, ringtails and cacomistles. In North America, ursoid, ursids (bears) and musteloids first appeared in the Chadronian of the late Eocene, and in early-Oligocene Europe, immediately following the Eocene ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
