''Parictis'' is an extinct arctoid belonging to the family Subparictidae.

Taxonomy & evolution

It was originally described as a new genus and species ''Parietis princeous'' of

mustelid The Mustelidae (; from Latin , weasel) are a diverse family of carnivoran mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, polecats, martens, grisons, and wolverines. Otherwise known as mustelids (), they form the largest family in the suborde ...

by Scott in 1893, for a single specimen, a mandible fragment with two anterior molars. An alternative name and spelling, ''?Parictis princeps'', was proposed in 1894; and in 1904 both the genus and species name were declared to be in error and the name ''Parictis primaevus'' was assigned. ''Parictis bathygenus'' was described in 1947, but it was considered a different genus by 1958, and a synonym of '' Cynelos caroniavorus'' by 1976. Another species was described in 1954 as ''Campylocynodon personi'', and was reassigned to the genus ''Parictis'' in 1967. And ''Parictis major'' was described during a review of the genus in 1972. The genus as a whole was placed within various families, including

Canidae Canidae (; from Latin, ''canis'', "dog") is a family (biology), biological family of caniform carnivorans, constituting a clade. A member of this family is also called a canid (). The family includes three subfamily, subfamilies: the Caninae, a ...

by Hall in 1931 and

Ursidae Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family (biology), family Ursidae (). They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats ...

by Hunt in 1998. It is placed within the family Subparictidae as of 2023.

Description

It was a very small and graceful arctoid with a skull only 7 cm long. ''Parictis'' first appeared in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

in the Late

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

(around 38 million years ago), but it did not arrive in Eurasia until the

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 ...

. Some suggest that ''Parictis'' may have emigrated from Asia into North America during the major sea level low about 37 mya, because of the continued evolution of the Amphicynodontinae into the

Hemicyoninae Hemicyoninae is an extinct subfamily of Ursidae, often called dog bears (literally "half dog" (Ancient Greek, Greek: )). They were bear-like carnivorans living in Europe, North America, Africa and Asia during the Oligocene through Miocene epoch ...

in Asia.''Several students (Erdbrink 1953, Kurten 1966, Mitchell and Tedford 1973, Thenius 1979) suggested that the evolutionary line between the canid subfamily Amphicynodontinae and the ursid subfamily Hemicyoninae was through the genera Cephalogale and Ursavus.'' Although no ''Parictis'' fossils have been found in

East Asia East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...

, ''Parictis'' does appear in Eurasia and Africa, but not until the Miocene.

References

Miocene genus extinctions Transitional fossils Eocene carnivorans Eocene mammals of North America Prehistoric carnivoran genera Subparictidae {{paleo-carnivora-stub