''Cynodictis'', ("slender dog
marten
A marten is a weasel-like mammal in the genus ''Martes'' within the subfamily Guloninae, in the family Mustelidae. They have bushy tails and large paws with partially retractile claws. The fur varies from yellowish to dark brown, depending on t ...
") is an extinct
amphicyonid
Amphicyonidae is an extinct family of terrestrial carnivorans belonging to the suborder Caniformia. They first appeared in North America in the middle Eocene (around 45 mya), spread to Europe by the late Eocene (35 mya), and appear in Asia, ...
carnivoran
Carnivora is a monophyletic order of placental mammals consisting of the most recent common ancestor of all cat-like and dog-like animals, and all descendants of that ancestor. Members of this group are formally referred to as carnivorans, ...
which inhabited
Eurasia
Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago a ...
from the
Late Eocene
The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', "daw ...
subepoch to the
Early Oligocene
The Rupelian is, in the geologic timescale, the older of two ages or the lower of two stages of the Oligocene Epoch/Series. It spans the time between . It is preceded by the Priabonian Stage (part of the Eocene) and is followed by the Chatti ...
subepoch living from 37.2—28.4 million years ago, existing for approximately .
[Egi, Naoko, Takehisa Tsubamoto, and Khishigjav Tsogtbaatar. "New amphicyonid (Mammalia: Carnivora) from the Upper Eocene Ergilin Dzo Formation, Mongolia." Paleontological research 13.3 (2009): 245-249.("...It is similar to Cynodictis, which is a primitive amphicyonid from the late Eocene to early Oligocene of Europe...")]
Anatomy
''Cynodictis'' had a long muzzle and a low-slung body. It had
carnassial
Carnassials are paired upper and lower teeth modified in such a way as to allow enlarged and often self-sharpening edges to pass by each other in a shearing manner. This adaptation is found in carnivorans, where the carnassials are the modified f ...
teeth for slicing chunks of meat off carcasses. It was about 30 cm at the shoulder.
Fossil distribution
Fossil specimens have been found in the
Lushi Formation of Mengjiapo,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, in
Weisserburg, Germany and
Les Saleres in the
Ager Basin of Spain, the
Bembridge Limestone
The Bouldnor Formation is a geological formation in the Hampshire Basin of southern England. It is the youngest formation of the Solent Group and was deposited during the uppermost Eocene and lower Oligocene.
Stratotype and occurrence
The Bou ...
and
Bembridge Marls Formations of the
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...
,
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
as well as the
Perrière and
Quercy Phosphorites Formation
The Quercy Phosphorites Formation ( French: ''Phosphorites du Quercy'') is a geologic formation and Lagerstätte in Occitanie, southern France. It preserves fossils dating back to the Paleogene period ( latest Bartonian to Late Oligocene), s and
La Débruge in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.
References
Further reading
* Haines, Tim, and Paul Chambers. ''The Complete Guide to Prehistoric Life.'' Pg. 176. Canada: Firefly Books Ltd., 2006
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1000261
Bear dogs
Eocene carnivorans
Oligocene caniforms
Priabonian life
Rupelian life
Oligocene mammals of Europe
Eocene mammals of Europe
Paleogene England
Fossils of England
Paleogene France
Fossils of France
Quercy Phosphorites Formation
Paleogene Germany
Fossils of Germany
Eocene mammals of Asia
Paleogene China
Fossils of China
Paleontology in Henan
Fossil taxa described in 1850
Prehistoric carnivoran genera